December 9, 2008

Born on this date
Happy birthday, Mary-Ann Murphy!

400 years ago
1608

Born on this date
John Milton. English poet. Mr. Milton was best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667/1674), written in blank verse. He's generally regarded as one of the most important writers in the English language. Mr. Milton went totally blind while still in his 40s, and died on November 8, 1674 at the age of 65.

320 years ago
1688

War
In the only substantial military action in England during the Glorious Revolution, forces loyal to William of Orange were decisively victorious in the Battle of Reading, forcing the flight of King James II from the country.

150 years ago
1858

Died on this date
Robert Baldwin, 54. Canadian politician. Mr. Baldwin, a native of York, Upper Canada, was a reform politician who served as Premier of Canada West from 1842-1843 and 1848-1851 and as Deputy Premier of the Province of Canada during those periods, while Canada East Premier Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine served as Premier of Canada, playing a major role in the evolution of responsible government in Canada.

140 years ago
1868

Died on this date
Fritz Haber. German chemist. Dr. Haber won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his development for synthesizing ammonia, important for fertilizers and explosives. While Dr. Haber's work in the production of fertilizer has helped in the feeding of much of the world's population, he's also been criticized as the "father of chemical warfare" for his work in the development of chlorine and other poisonous gases in World War I. Although Dr. Haber was Jewish, the Nazis offered him funding to continue his research in weapons, but he left the country, and died of heart failure at the age of 75 on December 9, 1934 in Basel, Switzerland, while on his way to live in what is now Israel.

130 years ago
1878

Transportation
The first St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway train arrived at Winnipeg late this evening after a 30-hour trip from St. Paul, Minnesota; the arrival of the railway marked the end of Kitson's Red River Transportation Company sternwheel ships.

110 years ago
1898

Born on this date
Emmett Kelly. U.S. clown. Mr. Kelly was known for creating the hobo character "Weary Willie." He began performing as a clown full-time in 1931, and was with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1942-1956. Mr. Kelly died on March 28, 1979 at the age of 80.

100 years ago
1908

Economics and finance
The Standard Stock and Mining Exchange set up a clearing house in Toronto; it was later absorbed by the Toronto Stock Exchange.

75 years ago
1933

Football
CRU
Grey Cup @ Davis Field, Sarnia
Toronto Argonauts 4 Sarnia Imperials 3

Ab Box's punt single late in the 4th quarter broke a 3-3 tie as the Argonauts edged the Imperials before 2,751 fans in the only Grey Cup ever played in Sarnia. The Imperials led 1-0 at halftime on a punt single by Hugh "Bummer" Stirling. The Imperials missed 2 field goal attempts in the 3rd quarter; Mr. Box punted the ball back out of the end zone on the first miss to save a point, and Mr. Stirling scored a single on the second to give Sarnia a 2-0 lead. Tuffy Griffiths of the Argonauts then blocked one of Mr. Stirling's punts, and Tommy Burns kicked a field goal to give Toronto a 3-2 lead after 3 quarters. Mr. Stirling punted for another single to tie the game before Mr. Box put the Argonauts ahead. Shortly after Mr. Box scored the go-ahead single, Sarnia's Norm Perry took a pass from Rocky Parsaca and ran down the sidelines to the Toronto 7-yard line, putting his team within range of a tying or possibly winning kick. However, official Jo-Jo Stirrett ruled that Mr. Perry had stepped out of bounds on the Toronto 42-yard line. The Sarnia fans were most displeased by the ruling, which was a difficult call because the field was covered with snow, making the sidelines and yard lines hard to see. The Imperials were unable to move close enough to attempt a kick for the tying point. The win was the first Grey Cup championship for the Argonauts since 1921, and the first for head coach Lew Hayman.

60 years ago
1948

At the movies
Words and Music, a Hollywoodized biography of the songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, received its premiere screening in New York City. It was directed by Norman Taurog, with Tom Drake playing Mr. Rodgers, Mickey Rooney as Mr. Hart, and numerous talented musical performers, including Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Genocide Convention, which defines genocide in legal terms and advises its signatories to prevent and punish such actions.

Politics and government
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities rejected a Justice Department request to drop its investigation of Communist spy activities in the State Department.

Scandal
John Belcher, parliamentary secretary to the British Board of Trade, announced his intention to resign after admitting that he had solicited gifts from businessmen dealing with his agency.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations Transport Workers Union ended a four-day convention in Chicago by re-electing anti-Communist President Michael Quill and ousting several leftist officials. A measure was also adopted barring Communists and their supporters from office.

50 years ago
1958

Politics and government
The French National Assembly elected Jacques Chaban-Delmas, former Defense Minister and member of the Gaullist Union for the New Republic, as its permanent speaker.

Venezuelan President-elect Romulo Betancourt said that no Communists would serve in his government.

The anti-Communist John Birch Society was founded in Indianapolis by Robert Welch.

Scandal
A U.S. federal grand jury in Washington indicted industrialist Bernard Goldfine on 18 counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions during an inquiry into his friendship with former presidential aide Sherman Adams.

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Koi no Kisetsu--Pinky and the Killers (12th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Those were the Days--Mary Hopkin

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Love Child--Diana Ross and the Supremes (2nd week at #1)
2 Abraham, Martin and John--Dion
3 Stormy--Classics IV
4 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell
5 Chewy Chewy--Ohio Express
6 Both Sides Now--Judy Collins
7 Who's Making Love--Johnnie Taylor
8 Little Arrows--Leapy Lee
9 For Once in My Life--Stevie Wonder
10 I Love How You Love Me--Bobby Vinton

Singles entering the chart were I'm Gonna Make You Love Me by Diana Ross and the Supremes & the Temptations (#73); Season of the Witch (Part 1) by the Vanilla Fudge (#80); Worst that Could Happen by Brooklyn Bridge (#89); Everyday People by Sly & the Family Stone (#91); The Dance at St. Francis by Barracuda (#92); Isn't it Lonely Together by O.C. Smith (#93); California Dreamin' by Bobby Womack (#95); I've Gotta Be Me by Sammy Davis, Jr. (#96); Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love) by the Delfonics (#97); Keep on Dancing by Alvin Cash (#99); and I Walk Alone by Marty Robbins (#100).

On television tonight
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock, on BBC 1
Tonight's episode: The Solitary Cyclist

War
A 19-day U.S.-S.V. operation against 1,000 North Vietnamese and 150 Viet Cong political agents in the Danang area ended with 1,019 of the enemy reported killed and 71 Viet Cong agents captured. An unarmed reconnaissance plane shot down was the fifth U.S. aircraft lost over North Vietnam since November 1.

Defense
Despite strong protests in the Soviet press, the destroyers USS Dyess and USS Turner from the 6th Fleet began a scheduled 5-day cruise described as a "routine voyage" in the Black Sea.

Technology
Douglas Engelbart gave what became known as "The Mother of All Demos," at the Association for Computing Machinery/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (ACM/IEEE)—Computer Society's Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco, publicly debuting the computer mouse; hypertext; and the bit-mapped graphical user interface using the oN-Line System (NLS).

Education
Commissioners André Laurendeau and Davidson Dunton issued their second Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism Report, urged that English and French should be made compulsory second language subjects for all Canadian students. The "Bi and Bi" Commission made the recommendation in a report calling for reforms in the school system to permit all students to study their own language and to learn the other official language, whether French or English. Meanwhile, Quebec Premier Jean-Jacques Bertrand established The Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec, to respond to conflicts within Montreal's Catholic school board in Saint-Léonard. Francophone parents had founded Le Mouvement pour l’intégration scolaire (MIS), to promote mandatory French language education for allophones (immigrants and non-immigrants); parents of Italian origin, supported by anglophones, created the Saint Leonard English Catholic Association of Parents to defend being able to choose either English or French schools. The Commission was chaired by linguist Jean-Denis Gendron, with a mandate to propose measures "to ensure 1) the respect of the linguistic rights of the majority as well as the protection of the rights of minorities and 2) the free blooming and diffusion of the French language in all activity sectors at the educational, cultural, social and economic levels." The Gendron Report was published on February 13, 1973.

30 years ago
1978

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Una donna per amico--Lucio Battisti (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland: Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord--Boney M. (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord--Boney M.

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Le Freak--Chic

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Get Off--Foxy (2nd week at #1)
2 Trojan Horse--Luv'
3 Dreadlock Holiday--10 cc
4 Paradise by the Dashboard Light--Meat Loaf
5 Kiss You All Over--Exile
6 Sandy--John Travolta
7 Bicycle Race--Queen
8 Guust Flater En De Marsupilami--Wij Zijn Twee Vrienden
9 MacArthur Park--Donna Summer
10 Dear John--Teach In

Singles entering the chart were Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord by Boney M. (#16); Who Pays the Ferryman/Wie Betaalt de Veerman by Yannis Markopoulos (#22); You Don't Bring Me Flowers by Barbra & Neil (#24); Y.M.C.A. by the Village People (#26); You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) by Sylvester (#30); A Little More Love by Olivia (#31); and You Needed Me by Anne Murray (#33).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 You Don't Bring Me Flowers--Barbra & Neil (3rd week at #1)
2 I Just Wanna Stop--Gino Vannelli
3 Le Freak--Chic
4 Sharing the Night Together--Dr. Hook
5 MacArthur Park--Donna Summer
6 I Love the Night Life (Disco 'round)--Alicia Bridges
7 Too Much Heaven--Bee Gees
8 (Our Love) Don't Throw it All Away--Andy Gibb
9 Time Passages--Al Stewart
10 My Life--Billy Joel

Singles entering the chart were Please Come Home for Christmas by the Eagles (#75); Soul Man by the Blues Brothers (#84); Dancin' Shoes by Nigel Olsson (#87); Easy Driver by Kenny Loggins (#88); Dancing in the City by Marshall Hain (#93); Tranquillo (Melt My Heart) by Carly Simon (#94); Get Down by Gene Chandler (#97); and Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches & Herb (#100).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 You Don't Bring Me Flowers--Barbra & Neil
2 How Much I Feel--Ambrosia
3 MacArthur Park--Donna Summer
4 Ready to Take a Chance Again--Barry Manilow
5 I Just Wanna Stop--Gino Vannelli
6 Whenever I Call You "Friend"--Kenny Loggins
7 Double Vision--Foreigner
8 Sharing the Night Together--Dr. Hook
9 Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)--Styx
10 You Needed Me--Anne Murray

Singles entering the chart included Home and Dry by Gerry Rafferty (#83); A Little More Love by Olivia Newton-John (#84); What You're Doing to Me by David McCluskey (#87); Forever Autumn by Justin Hayward (#90); Run for Home by Lindisfarne (#93); Cuz it's You by the James Walsh Gypsy Band (#94); Don't Hold Back by Chanson (#96); Your Sweetness is My Weakness by Barry White (#97); Take Me to the River by the Talking Heads (#98); One Last Kiss by the J. Geils Band (#99); and Miles Away by Fotomaker (#100).

Disasters
15 mentally retarded women died in a fire at the Ellisville State School in Ellisville, Mississippi.

Hockey
NHL
New York Islanders 3 @ Toronto 2

25 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Uptown Girl--Billy Joel

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Come Back and Stay--Paul Young (5th week at #1)

Politics and government
Former Argentinian President Isabel Martinez de Peron, who had been in exile in Spain since being ousted by the military in 1976, returned to Argentina to attend the following day's inauguration of Raul Alfonsin, who had won the October 30 election, ending seven years of military rule.

20 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Don't Worry Be Happy--Bobby McFerrin (6th week at #1)

War
A raid by Israeli forces on a Palestine Liberation Organization guerrilla base in Beirut concluded with reports of one Israeli officer and 20 Palestinian guerrillas killed.

Transportation
The Michael Hughes Bridge in Sligo, Ireland was officially opened.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Archie Moore, 81. U.S. boxer. Mr. Moore, born Archibald Wright and nicknamed "The Mongoose," had one of the longest professional careers on record, compiling a record of 185-23-10-1 from 1935-1963. He was world light heavyweight champion from 1952-1962, but fought mostly as a heavyweight in later years. Mr. Moore was regarded as one of the best fighters and hardest punchers in history, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He also acted in several films and television programs, and worked with underprivileged youth after his boxing career. Mr. Moore died of heart failure, four days before his 82nd birthday.

Shaughnessy Cohen, 50. Canadian politician. Mrs. Cohen, born Elizabeth Shaughnessy Murray, was a Liberal who represented the Ontario riding of Windsor-St. Clair in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 until her death from a cerebral hemorrhage, which occurred seconds after she'd stood to address the House. She became the first MP to suffer a fatal incident in either house of Parliament.

Business
Quebecor Inc. acquired Sun Media for $983 million, topping Torstar's bid by $80 million.