December 19, 2009

160 years ago
1849

Born on this date
Henry Clay Frick. U.S. industrialist. Mr. Frick co-founded the coke manufacturing firm H. C. Frick & Company with two cousins and a friend in 1871. He met steel magnate Andrew Carnegie in 1881 and partnered with him, eventually combining as United States Steel Corporation. Mr. Frick took harsh measures in dealing with a strike at the Homestead Works of Carnegie Steel Company in 1892, and survived an assassination attempt. He was a member of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club in Pennsylvania, whose role in altering the South Fork Dam led to the Johnstown Flood in 1889. Mr. Frick died of a heart attack on December 2, 1919, 17 days before his 70th birthday; he was no apparent relation of future baseball commissioner Ford Frick.

150 years ago
1859

Politics and government
U.S. President James Buchanan delivered his State of the Union message to Congress.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
Martin Luther King, Sr. U.S. clergyman. Rev. King, born Michael King, pastored Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta from 1931 to the 1970s, and was a leader in the Negro civil rights movement in Georgia. He was the father of civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated in 1968. Rev. King, Sr. died on November 11, 1984 at the age of 84.

Died on this date
Henry Ware Lawton, 56. U.S. military officer. Major-General Lawton served with the U.S. Army in the American Civil War, Apache Wars, Spanish-American War, and Philippine-American War. He was leading American forces in the Battle of San Mateo when he was killed by Philippine sniper Bonifacio Mariano. Maj.-Gen. Lawton was the highest-ranking American commander to be killed in the Philippine-American War.

War
Philippine troops forced attacking American troops to retreat in the Battle of San Mateo in the province of Manila (now Rizal).

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
W. A. Criswell. U.S. clergyman. Rev. Criswell, a Southern Baptist, was senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas from 1944-1993, and pastor emeritus thereafter. He was President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1968-1970, and was a key figure in the SBC's "conservative resurgence" in the late 1970s. Rev. Criswell died on January 10, 2002, 22 days after his 92nd birthday.

80 years ago
1929

Politics and government
The Indian National Congress promulgated the Purna Swaraj (the Declaration of the Independence of India).

60 years ago
1949

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Elevator, starring Royal Dano, Helen Dumas, and Jack Hartley

Died on this date
John Bofinger, 63. U.S. businessman. Mr. Bofinger was President of A&P, the largest chain of grocery stores in the United States.

World events
A group of Syrian officers led by Colonel Adib el-Shishikli arrested Army commander-in-chief Sami Hinnawi, accusing him of plotting to put the government in the hands of politicians who favoured union with Iraq.

War
A British military court in Hamburg sentenced Field Marshal Eric von Manstein, German commander on the Eastern Front during World War II, to 18 years in prison for sanctioning war crimes against Soviet troops and civilians.

Defense
The U.S.A., U.K., and Canada agreed on standardization of their military equipment and training.

Former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Louis Denfield rejected an appointment as U.S. naval commander in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean areas.

Politics and government
A Liberal-Country party coalition government headed by Liberal Party leader Robert Menzies took office in Australia.

Crime
Former U.S. State Department employee Alger Hiss began five days of testimony at his second perjury trial in New York, maintaining his claim that he never belonged to the Communist Party or passed State Department documents to Time magazine editor and Communist Party member Whittaker Chambers.

Oil
The United Kingdom cut its purchases of U.S. oil, shifting to greater reliance on Venezuelan and Middle Eastern oil.

Business
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that the California Automobile Association was subject to taxation. The decision ended the tax-exempt status of all U.S. auto clubs.

Labour
A Congress of Industrial Organizations commission headed by Textile Workers union President Emil Rieve held a hearing in Washington on charges that the United Office and Professional Workers union followed the Communist Party line. A second CIO commission investigated the California State Industrial Council.

Boxing
Rocky Marciano (24-0) scored a technical knockout of Phil Muscato (56-21) at 1:15 of the 5th round of a heavyweight bout at Rhode Island Auditorium in Providence.

50 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Joey's Song/Ooh! Look-a-There, Ain't She Pretty?--Bill Haley and his Comets (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: The End--Earl Grant

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Unter fremden Sternen--Freddy Quinn (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): What Do You Want?--Adam Faith (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Heartaches by the Number--Guy Mitchell
2 Mack the Knife--Bobby Darin
3 Uh! Oh!--The Nutty Squirrels
4 We Got Love--Bobby Rydell
5 Oh! Carol--Neil Sedaka
6 So Many Ways--Brook Benton
7 Why--Frankie Avalon
8 Be My Guest--Fats Domino
9 It's Time to Cry--Paul Anka
10 Mr. Blue--The Fleetwoods

Singles entering the chart were I'm Movin' On by Don Gibson (#49, charting with the version by Ray Charles and his Orchestra); The Village of St. Bernadette by Andy Williams (#63); Darling Lorraine by the Knockouts (#77); Little Things Mean a Lot by Joni James (#79); Lucky Devil by Carl Dobkins, Jr. (#89); Let's Try Again by Clyde McPhatter (#92); Let Them Talk by Little Willie John (#96); Bonnie Came Back by Duane Eddy and the Rebels (#99); and What Does it Matter by the Platters (#100).

Died on this date
Andrés Martínez Trueba, 75. President of Uruguay, 1951-1955. Mr. Martínez was an army officer and member of the Colorado Party who was Mayor of Montevideo from 1947-1948. As President, he proposed constitutional reforms that led to the abolition of the presidency and the adoption of a nine-man council system.

Politics and government
J. Percy Page was installed as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, succeeding John J. Bowlen, who had died three days earlier. Mr. Page was famous as the coach of the world-famous Edmonton Grads women's basketball team from 1915-1940, and served as leader of the provincial Liberal opposition in the 1940s. He also lived just a couple of doors down from this blogger in the 1960s.

Defense
U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. nuclear experts studying means to detect underground nuclear tests ended four weeks of talks in Geneva after failing to agree on criteria for on-site inspection of unidentified Earth tremors. The U.S. Democratic Advisory Council, urging continuation of the unilateral U.S. nuclear test suspension, warned that "to resume nuclear testing at the time would dim hopes for disarmament."

Politics and government
J. Percy Page was installed as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, succeeding John J. Bowlen, who had died three days earlier. Mr. Page was famous as the coach of the world-famous Edmonton Grads women's basketball team from 1915-1940, and served as leader of the provincial Liberal opposition in the 1940s.

Economics and finance
World Bank President Eugene Black named the heads of three major Western banks to survey Indian and Pakistani development needs early next year.

Labour
The United Steel Workers of America signed three-year contracts with five aluminum companies providing for hourly wage increases of 21c plus additional benefits.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Suspicious Minds--Elvis Presley

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Sugar Sugar--The Archies (6th week at #1)

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head--B.J. Thomas
2 Leaving on a Jet Plane--Peter, Paul and Mary
3 One Tin Soldier--The Original Caste
4 Holly Holy--Neil Diamond
5 Eli's Coming--Three Dog Night
6 I Still Believe in Tomorrow--John and Anne Ryder
7 Whole Lotta Love--Led Zeppelin
8 Jam Up Jelly Tight--Tommy Roe
9 Midnight Cowboy--Ferrante & Teicher
10 Don't Cry Daddy--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were Fancy by Bobbie Gentry (#28); Life is a Song by Gainsborough Gallery (#29); and Venus by the Shocking Blue (#30).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Something/Come Together--The Beatles (7th week at #1)
2 One Tin Soldier--The Original Caste
3 Leaving on a Jet Plane--Peter, Paul and Mary
4 Cherry Hill Park--Billy Joe Royal
5 Take a Letter Maria--R.B. Greaves
6 Holly Holy--Neil Diamond
7 Cold Turkey--Plastic Ono Band
8 Smile a Little Smile for Me--The Flying Machine
9 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head--B.J. Thomas
10 Down on the Corner--Creedence Clearwater Revival

At the movies
Topaz, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Frederick Stafford, Dany Robin, John Vernon, Karin Dor, and others, opened in theatres. This blogger was at the Capitol Theatre in Yellowknife with his friends watching Head, which finally made it to Yellowknife 13 months after its original release in the United States.



Defense
Two U.S. spy ships, the Oxford and the Jamestown, were decommissioned in Yokosuka, Japan.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)--Pink Floyd

At the movies
Being There, directed by Hal Ashby, and starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden, Melvyn Douglas, Richard Dysart, and Richard Basehart, opened in theatres.



Politics and government
Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who had supposedly stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada on November 21, announced that he was accepting the party's draft to lead the party into the federal election scheduled for February 18, 1980.



Hockey
NHL
Detroit 6 Edmonton 4

25 years ago
1984

Abominations
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang signed an agreement to transfer Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Hockey
NHL
Scotty Bowman became the NHL's career leader in victories with 691 when he coached the Buffalo Sabres to a 6-3 victory over the Black Hawks in Chicago.

20 years ago
1989

Died on this date
Stella Gibbons, 87. U.K. writer. Miss Gibbons was a journalist, poetess, and novelist. She was best known for the novel Cold Comfort Farm (1932). Miss Gibbons died after years of declining health, 17 days before her 88th birthday.

Diplomacy
West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl met with East German Premier Hans Modrow.

Protest
Pro-democracy demonstrations that had begun in Timisoara, Transylvania, Romania several days earlier spread to two other cities.

Crime
A bomb was discovered at the Jacksonville, Florida office of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People before it exploded. Federal investigators said that they had "hard forensic evidence" to link the bomb with those that had killed Alabama judge Robert Vance on December 16 and Savannah, Georgia attorney Robert Robinson on December 18. Another bomb had been discovered at the federal court building in Atlanta on December 18. Eventually, Walter Moody was convicted of murder and currently sits on death row in Alabama.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that consumer prices had risen 0.4% in November.

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Desmond Llewelyn, 85. U.K. actor. Mr. Llewelyn, a native of Wales, played Q in 17 James Bond movies from 1963-1999. He was killed in a car accident.

Abominations
At midnight, China regained sovereignty over the territory of Macao after 442 years of Portuguese colonial rule. Portugal and China agreed that the newly named Macao Special Administrative Region, consisting of a piece of mainland and two islands totalling 8.1 square miles and populated mostly by ethnic Chinese, would keep its capitalist economic system and continue to allow gambling (illegal in China) for 50 years.

Politics and government
In elections for the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, centrist and pro-government parties did well at the expense of parties further to the right and left. Although the Communists ran first with 25% of the vote, they were not in a position to form the largest bloc of seats.