January 10, 2009

2,000 years ago
9

Politics and government
The Western Han dynasty in China ended when Wang Mang claimed that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the beginning of his own, the Xin dynasty.

1,940 years ago
69

Politics and government
Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus was appointed by Galba as deputy Roman Emperor.

220 years ago
1789

Politics and government
Voting concluded in the first U.S. presidential election. George Washington earned all 69 electoral votes, while John Adams was elected Vice President, receiving 34 electoral votes.

150 years ago
1859

Politics and government
Louis Sicotte resigned as Commissioner of Crown Lands to become Leader of the Opposition from Canada East.

110 years ago
1899

Hockey
CAHL
Montreal Victorias (1-0) 4 @ Montreal (1-1) 2

80 years ago
1929

Politics and government
Sir Lomer Gouin was installed as Lieutenant Governor of Québec; he died in office on March 28, 1929.

60 years ago
1949

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and George Spelvin (Wendell Holmes)
Tonight's episode: The Knife of Vengeance

The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis, on MBS

War
Chinese Communists announced the start of a renewed drive on Nanking, following the elimination of two Nationalist army groups south of Suchow.

The Malayan government issued emergency regulations against aiding Communist insurgents, threatening to arrest all residents of an area harbouring guerrillas.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman presented Congress with a record peacetime budget of $41.9 billion, projecting an $873-million deficit unless his tax program was passed. The largest part of the budget--$14.3 billion--was devoted to defense costs, followed by $6.7 billion for foreign aid and "Cold War" expenditures."

Golf
Lloyd Mangrum won the Los Angeles Open.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Io--Domenico Modugno (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): La Paloma--Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): It's Only Make Believe--Conway Twitty (3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Chipmunk Song--The Chipmunks with David Seville (4th week at #1)
2 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--The Platters
3 My Happiness--Connie Francis
4 One Night--Elvis Presley
5 Tom Dooley--The Kingston Trio
6 Beep Beep--The Playmates
7 To Know Him, is to Love Him--The Teddy Bears
8 Problems--The Everly Brothers
9 Whole Lotta Loving--Fats Domino
10 Lonesome Town--Ricky Nelson

Singles entering the chart were The Children's Marching Song (Nick Nack Paddy Whack), with versions by Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra; and Mitch Miller and his Orchestra (#55); With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair by Pat Boone (#66); Petite Fleur (Little Flower) by Chris Barber's Jazz Band (#77); Ambrose (Part Five) by Linda Laurie (#85); Walk with Faith in Your Heart by Johnny Nash (#87); Tom Thumb's Tune by Russ Tamblyn (#93); Under the Sun Valley Moon by Patti Page (#95); and The Worryin' Kind by Tommy Sands (#98). The Children's Marching Song (Nick Nack Paddy Whack) was an old folk song whose popularity was revived when it was used in the movie The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958). Tom Thumb's Tune was from the movie Tom Thumb (1958), which starred Mr. Tamblyn.

Died on this date
Şükrü Kaya, 75. Turkish politician. Mr. Kaya held several cabinet posts, including Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs (1924-1925) and Minister of the Interior (1927-1938). He was Director of the Settlement of Tribes and Migrants during World War I, managing the deportation of Armenians during the Armenian genocide.

Claire Delmar, 60. U.S. actress. Miss Delmar, also known as Claire La Marr, and born Clara Loerch, appeared uncredited in silent films such as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) and The Jazz Singer (1927). She was married to cinematographer Hal Mohr from 1926-1929, and lived under her married name in later years in a house she shared with her bedridden mother in Carmel, California. According to the investigating sheriff, Miss Delmar was struck over the head outside the house and then carried into the bedroom, where she was sexually assaulted and butchered with a steak knife, 11 days after her 60th birthday. The murder remains unsolved.

Diplomacy
In a note to the United States, the U.S.S.R. offered to modify its "free Berlin" plan in a way acceptable to the West, but claimed that Western occupation rights were groundless in view of the Soviet announcement that the state of war with Germany was ended.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower accepted the resignation of Earl Smith as U.S. Ambassador to Cuba; Mr. Smith was accused by Fidel Castro's new revolutionary government of being too friendly to the previous government of President Fulgencio Batista.

World events
The Cuban dissident rebel groups Revolutionary Directorate and Second National Front of Escambray agreed to turn over their arms to the provisional revolutionary government.

Politics and government
French President Charles de Gaulle's chief personal aide Georges Pompidou transferred cabinet dossiers and policy files to new Prime Minister Michel Debre prior to the formal presentation of Mr. Debre's cabinet at the Elysee Palace.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Son-of-a Preacher Man--Dusty Springfield
2 I Love How You Love Me--Bobby Vinton
3 Shame, Shame--Magic Lanterns
4 Going Up the Country--Canned Heat
5 I Heard it Through the Grapevine--Marvin Gaye
6 If I Can Dream--Elvis Presley
7 Everyday People--Sly & the Family Stone
8 King Size--Jayson Hoover
9 Crimson and Clover--Tommy James and the Shondells
10 Stand by Your Man--Tammy Wynette

Singles entering the chart were Touch Me by the Doors (#24); These Eyes/Lightfoot by the Guess Who? (#29); and Mendocino by the Sir Douglas Quintet (#30).

Edmonton's top 10 (CJCA)
1 Abraham, Martin and John--Dion (5th week at #1)
2 Cinnamon--Derek
3 Magic Carpet Ride--Steppenwolf
4 Wichita Lineman--Glen Campbell
5 Bella Linda--The Grassroots
6 Hey Jude/Revolution--The Beatles
7 If I Can Dream--Elvis Presley
8 Going Up the Country--Canned Heat
9 Shame Shame--Magic Lanterns
10 Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)--Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus

The 45 of Bella Linda was issued in the United States in mono, while the Canadian release was in stereo.
The infamous Ozzy Osbourne is said to have been a member of the Magic Lanterns.

Died on this date
Sampurnanand, 78. Indian politician. Dr. Sampurnanand was a member of the Indian National Congress Party who served time in prison as a freedom fighter against British colonial rule; after independence, he held various offices, including Governor of Uttar Pradesh (1954-1960) and Governor of Rajasthan (1962-1967). Dr. Sampurnanand died nine days after his 78th birthday.

Space
Five days after launching Venera 5, the U.S.S.R. launched Venera 6, which, like its predecessor, was aimed to descend to the night-side surface of Venus in mid-May.

Journalism
Martin S. Ackerman, president of The Saturday Evening Post, announced that the publication, which began in 1821, would cease with the February 8, 1969 issue. The death knell for the magazine was the loss of a lawsuit filed by University of Georgia football coach Wally Butts. A 1963 article had alleged that Mr. Butts and University of Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant had conspired to fix a game in 1962. Mr. Butts sued for libel, and a 1967 court decision sided with him, awarding the coach $3.06 million, later reduced to $460,000. The Saturday Evening Post was revived as a quarterly publication in 1971, and is now published bimonthly, with content often dealing with medicine and health.

Disasters
Six mountain climbers were killed and eight others were missing and presumed dead after they were trapped in the Japanese Alps.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Y.M.C.A.--Village People (2nd week at #1)

War
Romania broke with its Communist allies, denouncing Vietnam for its intervention in Cambodia as a "heavy blow for the prestige of socialism" and a threat to peace.

Economics and finance
U.K. Prime Minister, James Callaghan arrived back in strike-torn Britain from a four-nation summit in Guadeloupe, and denied allegations that Britain was in economic chaos.

Hockey
NHL
Pittsburgh 3 Montreal 2
Toronto 2 Minnesota 2

The Canadian Olympic Team edged Moscow Dynamo Riga 3-2 in an exhibition game at the Stampede Corral in Calgary.

Basketball
Daryl Moreau of De La Salle High School in New Orleans set a United States scholastic record by sinking his 126th consecutive free throw over two seasons. In 1978-79 he had set the national single-season percentage standard of 97.5 percent from the line (119 of 122 shots).

25 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Say, Say, Say--Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson

Died on this date
Souvanna Phouma, 82. 8th Prime Minister of Laos, 1951-1954; 1956-1958; 1960; 1962-1975. Prince Souvanna was leader of the National Progressive Party, and was often forced into coalitions with the Communist Pathet Lao movement in roder to form a government. He was a neutralist in foreign polciy who was opposed by the United States.

Diplomacy
The United States and Holy See (Vatican City) re-established full diplomatic relations after almost 117 years, overturning the U.S. Congress's 1867 ban on public funding for such a diplomatic envoy.

At a White House dinner, Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang pledged to oppose the spread of nuclear weapons, and reportedly expressed concern to U.S. President Ronald Reagan about the close ties between the U.S.A. and Taiwan.

Defense
The U.S.S.R. called for a ban on chemical weapons in Europe. Western diplomats, responding cautiously, noted that previous negotiations on the subject had failed because of Soviet reluctance to agree to verification procedures.

20 years ago
1989

Died on this date
Donald Voorhees, 85. U.S. orchestra conductor. Mr. Voorhees made recordings from 1926-1931 before moving on to a long career in radio and television, most notably conducting the orchestra for Cavalcade of America (1935-1941, 1949-1953) and The Bell Telephone Hour (1942-1968). He served as the first conductor and musical director of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (1951-1983), and died of pneumonia.

Herbert Morrison, 83. U.S. journalist. Mr. Morrison was a reporter with Chicago radio station WLS and was covering the arrival of the German airship Hindenburg at Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1937, when the craft burst into flames. Mr. Morrison's report--especially the words "oh, the humanity"--is still considered to be a classic example of live coverage of a news event.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Frank Parker, 95. U.S. singer. Mr. Parker, born Frank Ciccio, was a tenor who appeared in numerous radio and television programs from the 1930s through the 1950s. He was a member of the cast of Jack Benny's program from 1933-1935, and hosted That Atlantic Family on Tour, with Frank Parker in 1935. Mr. Parker hosted the television program Bride and Groom (1951-1958) and appeared in several movies.

Football
NFL
AFC Divisional Playoff
Jacksonville 24 @ New York Jets 34

Keyshawn Johnson caught 9 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown, recovered a fumble, and made an interception to help the Jets defeat the Jaguars before 78,817 fans at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. New York running back Curtis Martin rushed for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught 6 passes for 58 yards. New York quarterback Vinny Testaverde passed for 284 yards and a touchdown.

NFC Divisional Playoff
Arizona 21 @ Minnesota 41

Robert Smith rushed for 124 yards and Leroy Hoard rushed for 3 touchdowns to help the Vikings defeat the Cardinals before 63,760 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.