November 29, 2011

1,450 years ago
561

Died on this date
Chlothar I, 64 (?). King of Soissons, 511-558; King of Orléans, 524-558; King of Reims, 555-558; King of Paris, 558; King of the Franks, 558-561. Chlothar I acceded to his first throne upon the death of his father Clovis I, and eventually reunited Francia by surviving his brothers and seizing their territories after they died. However, after Chlothar I died from acute pneumonia, his kingdom was divided among his four surviving sons.

230 years ago
1781

Abominations
The crew of the British slave ship Zong murdered 133 Africans by dumping them into the sea, en route to Jamaica, to claim insurance.

150 years ago
1861

Born on this date
Spyridon Samaras. Greek composer. Mr. Samaras was perhaps the most important member of the Ionian School of Heptanesian composers who were influenced by the Italian tradition. He was known for his operas, including Flora mirabilis (1886) and Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle (1905). Mr. Samaras also composed the music for the Olympic Hymn, with lyrics by Kostis Palamas. Mr. Samaras died on April 7, 1917 at the age of 55.

120 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Julius Raab. Chancellor of Austria, 1953-1961. Mr. Raab was a member of the Christian Social Party when he sat in the National Council (1927-1934), and was then a member of the Fatherland's Front (1934-1938). He was ousted after the German Anschluss of Austria in 1938, shortly after being appointed Minister of Commerce, but avoided death or imprisonment because of a friendship with a Nazi official. Mr. Raab co-founded the Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) in November 1945; he succeeded Leopold Figl as ÖVP party chairman in 1951 and as Federal Chancellor in 1953. Mr. Raab had a foreign policy of neutrality, with a Western attitude but achieving positive relations with the Soviet Union. He suffered a slight stroke in 1957, and resigned as ÖVP leader and Chancellor in 1961. Mr. Raab unsuccessfully campaigned for the Austrian presidency in 1963, but his health continued to decline, and he died on January 8, 1964 at the age of 72.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Mildred Harris. U.S. actress. Miss Harris began her career as a child star, and appeared in numerous movies, mainly from 1912-1928 during the era of silent films. She was the first wife of movie comedy legend Charlie Chaplin; the two were married from 1918-1920. Miss Harris died of pneumonia at the age of 42 on July 20, 1944, following a major abdominal operation.

80 years ago
1931

Football
NFL
Chicago Bears (7-4) 0 @ Portsmouth (11-3) 3
Providence (4-3-3) 0 @ New York (5-6-1) 0
Green Bay (12-1) 7 @ Brooklyn (2-11) 0

70 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Chattanooga Choo Choo--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (Vocal refrain by Tex Beneke and the Four Modernaires)

Chattanooga Choo Choo was the B-side of the single on the Bluebird label. The A-side was I Know Why, with vocal refrain by Paula Kelly and the Four Modernaires.

Died on this date
Frank Waller, 57. U.S. athlete and musician. Mr. Waller won silver medals in the men's 400-metre run and 400-metre hurdles events at the 1904 Summer Olympic Games in St. Louis. He later served as a pianist accompanying singer Lillian Russell; as a voice coach with various classical singers; and as director of several orchestras. Mr. Waller died of a heart ailment.

Gennaro Papi, 54. Italian-born opera conductor. Mr. Papi emigrated to the United States in 1913, serving as assistant conductor (1913-1915) and principal conductor (1915-1927, 1935-1941) of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, and as the first conductor of the Chicago Civic Opera (1927-1935). He died of a heart attack in his apartment, 22 days before his 55th birthday, and several hours before he was to conduct a performance of La Traviata at the Metropolitan.

Elton Sills, 17. Canadian high school student. A resident of Corbyville, Ontario, Mr. Sills died on his 17th birthday, two weeks after being breaking his neck and being paralyzed from the shoulders down while playing football for Belleville Collegiate against Tweed High School.

Opera
The weekly performance of the Metropolitan Opera from New York City, broadcast on NBC radio, was a performance of La Traviata, featuring tenor Jan Peerce's debut with the Met. The performance was conducted by Ettore Panizza, a late substitute for Gennaro Papi, who died of a heart attack several hours before the concert.

War The Japanese news agency Dōmei Tsushin reported that Japanese planes had bombed the Burma Road at Kumming the previous day. The Matson Lines passenger ship SS Lurline reportedly sent a radio signal after sighting a Japanese war fleet; the claim has been disputed by historians.

Scandal
U.S. Representative Andrew May (Democrat--Kentucky), chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee, ordered public hearings to begin December 3 on the activities of so-called "defense brokers" who obtained defense contracts on a commission basis.

Law
The U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia appointed Thomas Raeburn White to investigate an opinion written six years earlier by Federal Judge J. Warren Davis in the Universal Products Company case.

Labour
Crucible Steel Company said that it could not accept in advance any decision which may force its employees to join the United Mine Workers of America. Other steel companies had agreed to accept the coal arbitration board's decision as final.

Football
CRU
Grey Cup @ Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Winnipeg 18 Ottawa 16

George Fraser of the Rough Riders set a Grey Cup record with 3 field goals, but with less than 4 minutes remaining in regulation time, he missed his fourth attempt, settling for a single, allowing the Blue Bombers to win the Grey Cup for the second time in three years. Ches McCance of the Blue Bombers opened the scoring with a 23-yard field goal, but the Rough Riders took the lead with one of the most unusual touchdowns in Grey Cup history. Ottawa's Tony Golab punted from his own 40-yard line and recovered the ball on the Winnipeg 45, and then spun away from a would-be tackler and ran for a touchdown, converted by Mr. Fraser, to give Ottawa a 6-3 lead. Winnipeg's Fritz Hanson fumbled a punt early in the 2nd quarter, and Mr. Fraser kicked a 16-yard field goal from a sharp angle to make the score 9-3. On a third-down gamble, Blue Bomber quarterback Wayne Sheley lateralled to Bud Marquardt, who ran 40 yards downfield before being tackled by Ottawa's Orville Burke. As he was being tackled, Mr. Marquardt lateralled to centre Mel Wilson, who ran the remaining 5 yards for the touchdown. Mr. McCance's convert made the score 9-9 at halftime. Mr. Burke, the Ottawa quarterback, was hit as he attempted to pass in the first minute of the 3rd quarter, and Mr. Marquardt intercepted the ball and ran 45 yards for another Winnipeg touchdown. Mr. McCance converted to give the Blue Bombers a 15-9 lead. Mr. Fraser tied the game with field goals of 26 and 20 yards before Mr. McCance replied with a 38-yard field goal to give Winnipeg an 18-15 lead after 3 quarters. The distance of 38 yards was a Grey Cup record that was tied by Bob Dean of the Edmonton Eskimos in 1954, but wasn't surpassed until 1973. An unsuccessful third-down gamble by the Blue Bombers gave the Rough Riders a chance to tie the game, but Mr. Fraser was wide from 20 yards out, and Winnipeg held on to win the Grey Cup for the second time in the previous three years, and the third time in seven years. 19,065 fans were in attendance at Varsity Stadium in the warmest Grey Cup weather to date.

NCAA
Navy 14 Army 6 @ Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

60 years ago
1951

Died on this date
Kenneth Wherry, 59. U.S. politician. Mr. Wherry, a Republican, began his political career in Pawnee City, Nebraska, serving as a city councillor (1927, 1929) and Mayor (1929-1931, 1938-1942), while also sitting in the Nebraska State Senate (1929-1932). He ran unsuccessfully for the Republican Party nomination for Governor of Nebraska (1932) and for the U.S. Senate (1934). Mr. Wherry represented Nebraska in the U.S. Senate from 1943 until his death. Sen. Wherry represented a constituency that included a large population of German ancestry, and he supported a post-World War II policy that expressed concern for the plight of the people of Germany. He held old-style Republican isolationist views, opposing American entry into World War II; the Cold War; the Korean War; Marshall Plan aid to Europe; and homosexuals and Communists in government. Sen. Wherry was Senate Minority Whip (1943-1947); Majority Whip (1947-1949); and Minority Leader (1949-1951); he died from pneumonia, several weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery.

World events
The Syrian Army deposed the newly-installed cabinet of People's Party leader Marouf Dawalibi, an opponent of the Western plan for a Middle Eastern defense command.

The Thai armed forces staged a bloodless coup d'état, ordering the dissolution of Parliament, a cabinet shakeup, and a change of constitutions. A "Provisional National Executive Council" headed by Army Chief of Staff General Phin Chunhawan and natonal police chief General Pho Suriyanond took power.

Defense
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission set off Buster-Jangle Uncle, the last in a series of seven atomic devices to be detonated in Nevada. It was the world's first undergound nuclear explosion, meant to simulate a 23-kiloton ground-penetrating weapon. U.S. troops, in Operation Desert Rock III, observed the test and conducted maneuvers at a distance of 5 miles.

The first U.S. all-jet heavy bomber, the eight-jet B-52, was rolled out of the Boeing plant in Seattle to a nearby hangar in pre-dawn darkness.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Wage Stabilization Board approved a 13¢ hourly raise for 100,000 rubber workers employed by the Goodyear, B.F. Goodrich, and Firestone tire and rubber companies.

50 years ago
1961

Space
The United States launched Mercury-Atlas 5 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a chimpanzee named Enos aboard. Enos became the first chimpanzee launched into Earth orbit, completing the first orbit in 1 hour and 28.5 minutes. The mission, planned for 3 orbits, was terminated after 2 orbits because of concerns about the spacecraft's attitude and amount of fuel remaining. The spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, and the craft and its occupant were taken aboard the destroyer USS Stormes. Enos was in good shape, and reportedly ran around the deck of the ship shaking hands with his rescuers.



Politics and government
U.S. President John F. Kennedy addressed various issues in a press conference at the State Department Auditorium in Washington.



Boxing
Cassius Clay (10-0) scored a technical knockout of Willi Besmanoff (44-28-7) at 1:55 of the 7th round of a heavyweight bout at Freedom Hall in Louisville.



40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Maggie May--Rod Stewart

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Ame no Midōsuji--Ouyang Fei Fei (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mammy Blue--Pop-Tops (6th week at #1)

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Say I Love You--Renée Geyer (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Physical--Olivia Newton-John

Died on this date
Natalie Wood, 43. U.S. actress. Miss Wood, born Natalie Zacharenko and later known as Natasha Gurdin, appeared in such movies as Tomorrow is Forever (1946); Miracle on 34th Street (1947); Rebel Without a Cause (1955); Splendor in the Grass (1961); Inside Daisy Clover (1965); and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969). While filming Brainstorm (1983), Miss Wood died under circumstances that still haven't fully been explained. The investigation into her death was reopened by authorities in November 2011; the coroner's report was amended in 2012 to state that the cause of death was "drowning and other undetermined factors." There have been subsequent allegations that Miss Wood's body had substantial bruising, which may have been the result of an assault before she drowned.

25 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Notorious--Duran Duran (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Don't Leave Me This Way--The Communards (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Don't Leave Me This Way--The Communards (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Final Countdown--Europe

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Take My Breath Away--Berlin (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Human--Human League
2 Amanda--Boston
3 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
4 The Next Time I Fall--Peter Cetera with Amy Grant
5 True Blue--Madonna
6 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
7 Word Up--Cameo
8 Hip to Be Square--Huey Lewis and the News
9 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
10 Love Will Conquer All--Lionel Richie

Singles entering the chart were Big Time by Peter Gabriel (#77); I'm Not Perfect by Grace Jones (#85); It's Not You, It's Not Me by KBC Band (#86); That's Life by David Lee Roth (#87); Graceland by Paul Simon (#88); Love You Down by Ready for the World (#89); and The Best Man in the World by Ann Wilson (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Two of Hearts--Stacey Q
2 True Blue--Madonna
3 The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh
4 The Next Time I Fall--Peter Cetera with Amy Grant
5 Human--Human League
6 Amanda--Boston
7 Spirit in the Sky--Doctor and the Medics
8 To Be a Lover--Billy Idol
9 True Colors--Cyndi Lauper
10 Rumors--Timex Social Club

Singles entering the chart were Can't Help Falling in Love by Corey Hart (#76); You're What I Look For by Glass Tiger (#91); Stranglehold by Paul McCartney (#92); Some People by Paul Young (#96); and Heartache Away by Don Johnson (#98).

Died on this date
Cary Grant, 82. U.K.-born U.S. actor. Born Archibald Leach in England, Mr. Grant became one of the most popular actors in movie history, starring in such films as Gunga Din (1939); Suspicion (1941); Arsenic and Old Lace (1944); Notorious (1946); To Catch a Thief (1955); North by Northwest (1959); and Charade (1963). He retired from acting after Walk, Don't Run (1966) because he was too old to play romantic leads, but he remained a handsome man, and appeared on the cover of Gentleman's Quarterly in the summer of 1986. He began making a series of public appearances in various cities in the United States where he would chat with audiences and tell stories about his experiences. Davenport, Iowa was one of his stops, but he took ill there and died several hours before his scheduled public appearance.

20 years ago
1991

Died on this date
Ralph Bellamy, 87. U.S. actor. Mr. Bellamy had a career on stage, screen, and television spanning 70 years. He was probably best known for playing U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the play Sunrise at Campobello (1958), for which Mr. Bellamy won a Tony Award. He reprised the role in the film version (1960), and played Mr. Roosevelt again in the television mini-series The Winds of War (1983) and its sequel War and Remembrance (1988-1989). Mr. Bellamy died from a lung ailment.

Frank Yerby, 75. U.S. author. Mr. Yerby was known for novels such as The Foxes of Harrow (1946) and Dahomean (1971). He was of mixed racial origin and left the United States in 1955 in a protest against racial discrimination, living in Spain until his death

Environment
Canadian Environment Minister Jean Charest announced a $34.9-million program to protect Canadian wildlife and set up a national wildlife habitat network, plus $17.7 million for ecology research.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
John Knowles, 75. U.S. author. Mr. Knowles wrote for the Hartford Courant and was an assistant editor for Holiday magazine, but was best known for his semi-autobiographical novel A Separate Peace (1959).

George Harrison, 58. U.K. musician. The lead guitarist of the Beatles, Mr. Harrison was known as the "quiet Beatle." His most notable composition with the group was Something, a major hit in the fall of 1969. When the band broke up, Mr. Harrison launched a solo career, and his first album, All Things Must Pass (1970) yielded the #1 hit single My Sweet Lord (which Mr. Harrison lost a legal battle over because the song sounded too much like He's So Fine, a major hit in 1963 for the Chiffons) and the top 10 hit What is Life. Mr. Harrison became one of the first rock musicians to attempt to raise money for charity when he staged the The Concert for Bangladesh, which attracted 40,000 people to two shows at Madison Square Garden in New York on August 1, 1971. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) topped singles charts in 1973, but as his interest in Indian spirituality and Indian music deepened, public appreciation of his records and live appearances declined. Later hit singles included Blow Away (1979); All Those Years Ago (1981--a tribute to the recently-slain John Lennon); Got My Mind Set on You ( #1 in 1987-1988); and When We was Fab (1988). Mr. Harrison was also a member of the Traveling Wilburys, who released the albums Volume 1 (1988) and Volume 3 (1990). He died after battling lung cancer for several years.