December 2, 2009

600 years ago
1409

Academia
Universitat Leipzig was founded by Frederick I, Elector of Saxony and his brother William II, Margrave of Meissen.

540 years ago
1469

Died on this date
Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, 53. Italian banker and politician. Mr. Medici, the son of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder, was Lord of Florence from 1464 until his death from gout and lung disease. He was succeeded as Lord of Florence by his son Lorenzo "the Magnificent."

280 years ago
1729

Born on this date
Josiah Bartlett. U.S. physician, judge, and politician. Dr. Bartlett practiced medicine for 45 years; he discovered a successful treatment for an illness known as throat distemper, and was the first president of the New Hampshire Medical Society. Dr. Bartlett was a delegate from New Hampshire to the Continental Congress (1774-1776, 1778), and signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as a judge, sitting on the N.H. Court of Common Pleas before being promoted to the New Hampshire Supreme Court in 1782; he was named Chief Justice in 1788. Dr. Bartlett declined the nomination of the N.H. legislature to the United States Senate, but served as Governor of New Hampshire (1790-1794). He resigned because of declining health after one term, and died of paralysis on May 19, 1795 at the age of 65.

160 years ago
1849

Died on this date
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, 57. Queen consort of the United Kingdom and Hanover, 1830-1837. Adelaide, the daughter of George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, married the future King William IV in 1818, and became queen consort when he acceded to the throne upon the death of his elder brother George IV. She had no children who survived past infancy, and when King William died in 1837, he was succeeded on the throne by his niece Victoria. Adelaide lived in England as a dowager queen, with her health gradually declining until her death. The city of Adelaide, Australia is named in her honour.

150 years ago
1859

Died on this date
John Brown, 59. U.S. abolitionist. Mr. Brown was hanged at Charles Town, Virginia for leading a raid at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia on October 16 which resulted in Mr. Brown, two of his sons, and 19 abolitionist followers capturing the arsenal. Mr. Brown was wounded and 10 of his men killed in a subsequent shootout with U.S. Marines. Mr. Brown’s dignified conduct and sincere defense at his trial led many in the northern United States to regard him as a martyr.

110 years ago
1899

Born on this date
John Cobb. U.K. auto racing and speedboat driver. Mr. Cobb set the world land speed record in 1938, 1939, and 1947. He was killed in Loch Ness in Scotland on September 29, 1952 at the age of 52 when an unexpected wake destroyed his boat while he was trying to break the world water speed record.

John Barbirolli. U.K. orchestra conductor. Sir John was a cellist who began conducting in the 1920s. He was the music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1936-1943) and chief conductor of the Houston Symphony Orchestra (1961-1967), but was best known as the conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester from 1943 until his death from a heart attack on July 29, 1970 at the age of 70. He was particularly known for his association with the music of English composers.

Ray Morehart. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Morehart was a shortstop and second baseman with the Chicago White Sox (1924, 1926) and New York Yankees (1927), batting .269 with 1 home run and 49 runs batted in in 177 games. On August 31, 1926, he set a major league record, since tied, with 9 hits in a doubleheader. Mr. Morehart was with the Yankee team that's regarded as the greatest team in major league history; he didn't play in their four-game World Series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but was on their active roster. He batted .287 with 32 homers in 1,192 games in 10 seasons in the minor leagues from 1922-1933. Mr. Morehart died in his rocking chair of an apparent heart attack on January 13, 1989 at the age of 89.

Died on this date
Gregorio del Pilar, 24. Filipino military officer and politician. Brigadier General del Pilar served with the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War, and became Governor of Bulacan in 1898. He achieved several victories, but was fatally shot in the neck while commanding his forces in the Battle of Tirad Pass, 18 days after his 24th birthday.

War
A 60-man Filipino rearguard commanded by Brigadier General Gregorio del Pilar held off a U.S. Army force of over 500 Americans commanded by Major Peyton March in the Battle of Tirad Pass in northern Luzon, allowing Filipino President Emilio Aguinaldo and his troops to escape.

100 years ago
1909

Born on this date
Joseph P. Lash. U.S. journalist and author. Mr. Lash, a socialist with Communist sympathies who eventually renounced Communism, won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1972 for Eleanor and Franklin: The Story of their Relationship, Based on Eleanor Roosevelt's Private Papers (1971). A second volume of his biography of Mrs. Roosevelt, titled Eleanor: The Years Alone, was published in 1972. Mr. Lash died on August 22, 1987 at the age of 77.

Hockey
NHA
Ambrose O'Brien, owner of the Renfrew Creamery Kings, and Jimmy Gardner, owner of the Montreal Wanderers, combined to found the National Hockey Association.

90 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Henry Clay Frick, 69. 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, 17 days before his 70th birthday; he was no apparent relation of future baseball commissioner Ford Frick.

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

75 years ago
1934

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Today's episode: The Case of the Sealed Room

This was another episode that was adapted from one of A. Conan Doyle's non-Sherlock Holmes stories.

70 years ago
1939

Transportation
New York City's LaGuardia Airport opened.

Football
CRU
Eastern Final @ Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Ottawa (IRFU) 23 Sarnia (ORFU) 1

Orville Burke's 37-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Daley in the 1st quarter provided the Rough Riders with all the points they needed as they easily defeated the Imperials before 8,500 fans to advance to the Grey Cup against the Western Interprovincial Football Union champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers one week hence. Sammy Sward returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter, and Stan O'Neil rushed 8 yards for a TD in the 3rd quarter.

60 years ago
1949

Died on this date
George F. Moore, 62. U.S. military officer. Major General Moore commanded the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays and the Philippine Coast Artillery during the Battle of Bataan in World War II, and was a Japanese prisoner of war from 1942-1945 after being captured on Corregidor Island. He never fully recovered his health, and committed suicide by shooting himself, shortly after his retirement.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly approved the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.

Defense
U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Forrest Sherman, speaking to midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, announced that the Navy would concentrate on the development of anti-submarine warfare to offset the superior size of the U.S.S.R.'s submarine fleet.

World events
Father Alexei Krishko, a Russian Orthodox priest in Sarajevo and the chief defendant in the espionage trial of 11 Soviet refugees, admitted to government charges that he had spied on Yugoslavia.

Law
The U.K. House of Commons completed action on a bill making the Supreme Court of Canada the court of last resort in Canada. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council had heretofore been Canada's court of last resort.

Economics and finance
The United Nations General Assembly's Political Committee approved a $54.9-million relief program for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.

Boxing
Rocky Marciano (23-0) scored a technical knockout of Pat Richards (24-7-5) at 39 seconds of the 2nd round of a heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York.

50 years ago
1959

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Amy!

Defense
West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer won French agreement to refrain temporarily from seeking a revision of NATO plans for integration of European defense forces.

Brazil turned down a Cuban request to purchase 15 jet fighter planes.

Politics and government
After taking office as U.S. Defense Secretary, Thomas Gates announced that he was ordering a change in Pentagon news policy and would urge the service secretaries to hold frequent press conferences.

Academia
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower criticized universities whose opposition to loyalty oath provisions of the National Defense Education Act had led them to deprive students of loans authorized under the act.

Science
Chemist Glenn Seaborg received the Enrico Fermi award of $50,000 for his work in discovering plutonium and several other elements that do not exist normally on Earth.

Economics and finance
A group of 11 commercial banks granted a $40-million revolving credit to the South African government for "general purchases."

Labour
Teamsters union President James Hoffa announced that his union would "refuse to honor [picket]lines set up [by other unions] for organizational or recognition purposes."

Boxing
Joe Brown (94-20-12-3) retained his world lightweight title with a technical knockout of Dave Charnley (33-6-1) at Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston when the fight was stopped between the 5th and 6th rounds because of a cut over Mr. Charnley's right eye.

40 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Grüezi wohl, Frau Stirnimaa--Die Minstrels (6th week at #1)

Theatre
The musical Buck White, written by Oscar Brown and starring Muhammad Ali, opened at the George Abbott Theatre in New York for the first of just 7 performances. Among the supporting players was Donald Sutherland, making his first Broadway appearance.

Died on this date
Kliment Voroshilov, 88. U.S.S.R. military officer and politician. Marshal of the Soviet Union Voroshilov was People's Commissar for Defense of the Soviet Union from 1925-1940. He served in the Russian Civil War (1917-1922); Polish-Soviet War (1919-1920); Winter War (1939-1940); and World War II (1939-1945). Marshal Voroshilov was blamed for heavy losses at the hands of Finnish troops in the Winter War, and blamed the Soviet failure on dictator Josef Stalin's purges of the Red Army's best generals. Marshal Voroshilov commanded the Leningrad Front in 1941, but was dismissed in September and replaced by Georgy Zhukov. He supervised the establishment of the Communist regime in Hungary from 1945-1947, and was Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (Head of State) from 1953-1960. Marshal Voroshilov was removed from the Soviet Communist Party Presidium in 1960 by Premier Nikita Khrushchev, but was re-elected to the Central Committee in 1966 and restored to a figurehead post by Communist Party First Secretary Leonid Brezhnev. Marshal Voloshinov was honoured twice as a Hero of the Soviet Union.

Abominations
An eight-man U.S. Army board of inquiry, headed by General William Peers, began closed hearings in Washington in response to charges that U.S. officers in Vietnam had "whitewashed" the March 16, 1968 My Lai massacre of innocent civilians in South Vietnam in an investigation done at the time of the incident.

Politics and government
Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato dissolved the House of Representatives and called for new elections for December 27.

U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (Democrat--Massachusetts) said in a television interview that the deposed Shah of Iran "ran one of the most violent regimes in the history of mankind" and had stolen "umpteen billions of dollars from his country." Political opponents criticized Sen. Kennedy for making remarks which they thought might endanger the 50 Americans held hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. I don't know if anyone remarked on the irony of a Kennedy criticizing someone else's corruption.

Disasters
A flash fire killed 54 elderly residents of a nursing home in Notre Dame du Lac, Quebec.

30 years ago
1979

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Jezebel--Jon Stevens

#1 single in Switzerland: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)--ABBA

World events
The deposed Shah of Iran was flown to a military hospital in Texas to recuperate from medical treatment in New York.

Terrorism
A mob attacked the U.S. embassy in Libya.

Oil
U.S. President Jimmy Carter suspended all Iranian oil imports to the United States.

20 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Lambada--Kaoma (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Lily was Here--David A. Stewart and Candy Dulfer (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli (2nd week at #1)
2 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
3 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
4 Angelia--Richard Marx
5 Love Shack--The B-52's
6 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
7 Back to Life--Soul II Soul
8 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
9 When I See You Smile--Bad English
10 Poison--Alice Cooper

Singles entering the chart were Peace in Our Time by Eddie Money (#66); Lullaby by the Cure (#85); Don't Take it Personal by Jermaine Jackson (#88); Nothin' to Hide by Poco (#89); Woman in Chains by Tears for Fears (#93); What Kind of Man Would I Be? by Chicago (#95); Owwww! by Chunky A (#96); and Serious Kinda Girl by Christopher Max (#97).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
2 Angelia--Richard Marx
3 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
4 Love Shack--The B-52's
5 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
6 Back to Life--Soul II Soul
7 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
8 Poison--Alice Cooper
9 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
10 With Every Beat of My Heart--Taylor Dayne

Singles entering the chart were Peace in Our Time by Eddie Money (#70); Steamy Windows by Tina Turner (#80); Too Hot by Loverboy (#83); Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue (#86); What Kind of Man Would I Be? by Chicago (#88); Principal's Office by Young M.C. (#90); and Over and Over by Pajama Party (#94).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 When I See You Smile--Bad English
2 Angelia--Richard Marx
3 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
4 Sowing the Seeds of Love--Tears for Fears
5 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
6 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
7 Love Shack--The B-52's
8 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
9 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
10 Cover Girl--New Kids on the Block

Singles entering the chart were Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic featuring Felly (#71); Downtown Train by Rod Stewart (#73); Steamy Windows by Tina Turner (#77); This Side of Love by Terence Trent D'Arby (#80); Don't Shut Me Out by Kevin Paige (#83); Foolish Heart by the Grateful Dead (#85); New Orleans is Sinking by the Tragically Hip (#89); Back in My Arms Again by Colin James (#92); and What am I Supposed to Do by Paul Hyde (#94).

Space
The mission of the U.S. satellite Solar Maximum Mission, launched February 14, 1980, ended when it burned up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

War
The Communist insurgency in Malaysia was ended by the Peace Agreement of Hat Yai, signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), and the Malaysian and Thai governments.

Diplomacy
A heavy storm forced U.S. President George Bush and U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev to hold their summit talks aboard the large Soviet cruise ship Maxim Gorky, rather than on a smaller cruiser. Mr. Bush proposed that bilateral treaties on strategic arms and conventional arms in Europe be completed during 1990. He offered to waive trade restrictions if the Soviets liberalized their emigration laws. Mr. Gorbachev made no major proposals.

Scandal
A committee reported to the East German Parliament that former party leader Erich Honecker and his associates had lived in luxury while they ran the country, and the committee said it had evidence that they had hidden $54 billion in Swiss bank accounts.

Politics and government
Vishwanath Pratap Singh, a former minister in the cabinet of Rajiv Gandhi, was sworn in to succeed Mr. Gandhi as Prime Minister of India.

Yukon Member of Parliament Audrey McLaughlin became the first woman to lead a major national political party in Canada when she was chosen to succeed outgoing leader Ed Broadbent at the New Democratic Party convention in Winnipeg. Mrs. McLaughlin needed 4 ballots to defeat former British Columbia Premier Dave Barrett; the fourth ballot total was 1,316 votes for Mrs. McLaughlin and 1,072 for Mr. Barrett. Among the unsuccessful candidates who swung their support to Mrs. McLaughlin on the last ballot was Saskatchewan MP Simon De Jong (Regina—Qu'Appelle), who earlier appeared to have made a deal to support Mr. Barrett. Mr. De Jong’s commitment to Mr. Barrett was captured on a live microphone that Mr. De Jong had agreed to wear for CBC television. Mr. De Jong sought advice from his mother at the convention, and the two spoke in Dutch. Mr. De Jong’s question was translated approximately as "Mommy, what do I do?"

Hockey
NHL
Calgary 7 Toronto 4

10 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Charlie Byrd, 74. U.S. musician. Mr. Byrd was a jazz guitarist who was best known for his association with Brazilian bossa nova music in a performing career spanning more than 40 years. He performed as a sideman and bandleader, but was perhaps best known for collaborating with saxophonist Stan Getz on the bossa nova album Jazz Samba (1962). Mr. Byrd died of lung cancer.

Politics and government
The British Parliament officially devolved power to the new provincial cabinet of Northern Ireland. In a treaty signed with Great Britain, Irish Foreign Minister David Andrews renounced Ireland’s claim to Northern Ireland. The Irish Republican Army appointed its representative to the Independent International Committee on Decommissioning, the body that would negotiate the disarming of the IRA.

The six leading candidates for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States in 2000 participated in a debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. Publisher Steve Forbes opposed the position of Texas Governor George W. Bush that the retirement age for Social Security benefits might have to be raised. Mr. Bush noted that he was the only candidate who held a top administrative position. Conservative activist Gary Bauer asserted that Mr. Bush was not strong enough in his opposition to abortion.

Disasters
7 people were killed and 50 injured when an Australian commuter train slammed into the back of another passenger train outside Sydney.