December 20, 2011

170 years ago
1841

Born on this date
Ferdinand Buisson. French politician. Mr. Buisson was a member of the Radical-Socialist party who was president of the French Human Rights League from 1913-1926. He and Ludwig Quidde of Germany shared the 1927 Nobel Peace Prize "[for] contributions to Franco-German popular reconciliation." Mr. Buisson died on February 16, 1932 at the age of 90.

150 years ago
1861

Born on this date
Ferdinand Bonn. German actor. Mr. Bonn began his career on stage in 1885, and in 1905 founded Ferdinand Bonn's Berlin Theater, which collapsed after just two years. He frequently played detectives, including Sherlock Holmes in several plays. Mr. Bonn appeared in 80 films from 1912-1932, and died on September 24, 1933 at the age of 71.

Defense
The British War Office ordered 18 transport ships loaded with men, arms and supplies to Canada. 16 batteries of Royal Artillery were earmarked, with 4 companies of Royal Engineers and 11 battalions of infantry, for a total of over 11,000 men. 50,000 rifles and 2¼ million rounds of ammunition were also sent for the defense of Canada in case the "Trent Affair" was not settled without war.

140 years ago
1871

Born on this date
Henry Kimball Hadley. U.S. composer and conductor. Mr. Hadley conducted various orchestras, and was the first conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. In 1933 he founded the National Association for American Composers and Conductors, and a year later, founded the summer festival known today as Tanglewood. Mr. Hadley wrote five symphonies, five operas, as well as symphonic poems, and numerous choral, orchestral, and chamber works. He conducted the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for the soundtrack of the movie Don Juan (1926--the first motion picture with synchronized sound--and composed the first original motion picture score, for When a Man Loves (1927). Mr. Hadley was one of the most-performed composers of his time, but has largely been forgotten since his death after a long battle with cancer on September 6, 1937 at the age of 65.

Politics and government
Edward Blake was sworn in as Premier of Ontario, beginning 34 straight years of Liberal rule in the province. He replaced Liberal-Conservative John Sandfield Macdonald, who was gravely ill and had resigned after an inconclusive election that was followed by the desertion of a few coalition Reformers.

130 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Branch Rickey, 83. U.S. baseball player, manager, and executive. Mr. Rickey, nicknamed "The Mahatma," was a catcher with the St. Louis Browns (1905-1906, 1914) and New York Highlanders (1907), batting .239 with 3 home runs and 39 runs batted in in 120 games. He managed the Browns from 1913-1915 and the St. Louis Cardinals from 1919-1925, compiling a record of 597-664-16. Mr. Rickey was also the Browns' general manager from 1913-1915 and 1919 before moving to the Cardinals, holding the same position from 1919-1942. With the Cardinals, Mr. Rickey developed the idea of a farm system of minor league teams feeding the major league club; the Cardinals won six pennants under his leadership, and World Series championships in 1926, 1931, 1934, and 1942. Mr. Rickey then moved on to the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming part-owner and putting together the team that won National League pennants in 1947 and 1949, before selling his share of the club in 1950. His most famous act was signing Jackie Robinson, who, in 1947, became the first Negro player in modern major league baseball. Mr. Rickey served as president of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1950-1955, but had no success at all. He came out of retirement to rejoin the Cardinals as an executive after the 1962 season, and the team won the World Series in 1964. Mr. Rickey died on December 9, 1965, 26 days after suffering a stroke while delivering a speech in Columbia, Missouri, and 11 days before his 84th birthday. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

120 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Erik Almlöf. Swedish athlete. Mr. Almlöf specialized in the triple jump, winning bronze medals at the 1912 Olympic Games in Oslo and the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. He had a business career divided between Sweden and the United States, and died in Pennsylvania on January 18, 1971, 29 days after his 79th birthday.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Robert Van de Graaff, 65. U.S. engineer. Mr. Van de Graaff was known for the design and construction of the Van de Graaff generators. He died on January 16, 1967, 27 days after his 65th birthday.

Communications
Canadian Finance Minister William Fielding assured Guglielmo Marconi of a warm welcome in Nova Scotia to continue his experiments in wireless telegraphy, and offered Canadian government assistance. The Anglo-American Telegraph Company, with its underseas cable to Europe, had a monopoly in Newfoundland, and threatened to sue Mr. Marconi, who then set up shop in Cape Breton.

100 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Hortense Calisher. U.S. authoress. Miss Calisher was a New York feminist who wrote more than 20 novels and collections of short stories, and was nominated three times for the National Book Award. She died on January 13, 2009, 24 days after her 97th birthday.

Politics and government
U.S. President William Howard Taft delivered the third part of his four-part annual State of the Union message to Congress. Part III dealt with the tariff on wool.

Energy
The Albert County natural gas pipeline from Stoney Creek, New Brunswick commenced service to Moncton, although a temporary disruption occurred when a gas explosion on Main Street destroyed four buildings.

Transportation
Alberta adopted its Highways Act.

90 years ago
1921

Died on this date
Julius Richard Petri, 69. German physician. Dr. Petri was a hospital and military physician who was assisting bacteriologist Robert Koch at the Imperial Health Office in Berlin (1877-1879) when he invented the Petri dish, a shallow transparent lidded dish that biologists use to hold growth medium in which cells can be cultured.

70 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Elmer's Tune--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (Vocal refrain by Ray Eberle and the Modernaires)

War
A Soviet communique reported the recapture of Volololamsk on the central front and Voibokala on the northern front. Japanese troops landed from four transports at Davao on the Philippine island of Mindanao, 60 miles southeast of Manila; heavy fighting was reported. The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, better known as the "Flying Tigers," saw their first action in Kunming, China, when aircraft of the 1st and 2nd squadrons intercepted 10 unescorted Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily" bombers of the 21st Hikōtai attacking Kunming. The bombers jettisoned their loads before reaching Kunming. Three of the Japanese bombers were shot down near Kunming and a fourth was damaged so severely that it crashed before returning to its airfield at Hanoi. Two American tankers were attacked by submarines off the Pacific coast of the United States; one ship escaped, but the 6,912-ton Emidio was abandoned off Cape Mendocino after being shelled and torpedoed. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt named Admiral Ernest King, current commander of the Atlantic Fleet, as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Fleet. The Cuban government ordered the internment of all Japanese in Cuba.

Labour
Scores of welders went on strike in shipyards and defense plants in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas in protest against alleged American Federation of Labor discrimination.

60 years ago
1951

At the movies
Death of a Salesman, directed by László Benedek, and starring Fredric March, Mildred Dunnock, Kevin McCarthy, and Cameron Mitchell, opened in theatres.



Theatre
Antony and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Michael Benthall, and starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway in New York. It ran in repertory with Caesar and Cleopatra, which had opened the previous night.

Mexicana
Following Senate approval, Baja California became Mexico's 29th state.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly chose Greece to succeed Yugoslavia on the Security Council despite the Soviet bloc's contention that an Eastern European country was entitled to the seat under an informal agreement dating from 1945.

Defense
The U.S. Selective Service headquarters announced that 300,000 4-Fs rejected for mental reasons would be reexamined for possible induction under reduced admission standards.

Politics and government
The New York Times reported that four U.S. federal agencies--the Central Intelligence Agency, Atomic Energy Commission, and State and Defense Departments)--were using lie detectors as part of their security programs.

Energy
The Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR)-I in Arco, Idaho became the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity. The electricity powered four light bulbs.

50 years ago
1961

Died on this date
Earle Page, 81. Prime Minister of Australia, 1939. Sir Earle, a physician by trade, represented Cowper in the Australian Parliament (1919-1961). He joined the Country Party in 1920, and led it from 1921-1939. Sir Earle held various cabinet posts including Treasurer (1923-1929); Minister for Commerce (1932-1939, 1940-1941); and Minister for Health (1937-1938, 1949-1956). He was Prime Minister from April 7-26, 1939, between the death in office of Joseph Lyons and the election of Robert Menzies as leader of the United Australia Party and Prime Minister in the UAP-Country coalition. Sir Earle refused to serve in Mr. Menzies' cabinet and withdrew the Country Party from the coalition, which led to his resignation as party leader in September 1939. Sir Earle was suffering from lung cancer in 1961, but still campaigned for re-election in Cowper. He went into a coma several days before the December 9 election and was defeated, four days before the 42nd anniversary of his assumption of his seat. Sir Earle never regained consciousness.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Maggie May--Rod Stewart (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Ame no Midōsuji--Ouyang Fei Fei (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mammy Blue--Pop-Tops (9th week at #1)

At the movies
Harold and Maude, directed by Hal Ashby, and starring Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Roy Disney, 78. U.S. motion picture executive. Mr. Disney was the older brother of motion picture producer Walt Disney, and the two co-founded Walt Disney Productions. While Walt was the creative genius of the company, Roy looked after the financial interests of the studio. Roy Disney retired shortly after the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971.

Diplomacy
The international aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) was founded in Paris by Bernard Kouchner and a group of journalists.

Politics and government
Pakistani Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took office as President and martial law administrator, returning the nation to civilian rule for the first time since 1958. His predecessor, Agha Mohammed Yahya Khan, was forced to resign following Pakistan's defeat by India in the recent war.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Richard Nixon announced that the 10% surcharge on goods imported into the United States had been terminated.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): How Great Thou Art--Howard Morrison

#1 single in Switzerland: Physical--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Dimitris Rontiris, 82. Greek theatre director. Mr. Rontiris was an actor before becoming a director. He was appointed director of the Royal Theatre in Athens in 1933, directed the National Theatre of Greece (1946-1950, 1953-1955), and founded the Piraeus Theatre (1957). Mr. Rontiris directed 11 plays by William Shakespeare, classical tragedies, and modern works.

25 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): The Final Countdown--Europe (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Don't Leave Me This Way--The Communards (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Caravan of Love--The Housemartins (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Caravan of Love--The Housemartins

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles
2 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
3 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
4 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
5 Notorious--Duran Duran
6 The Next Time I Fall--Peter Cetera with Amy Grant
7 Shake You Down--Gregory Abbott
8 Hip to Be Square--Huey Lewis and the News
9 To Be a Lover--Billy Idol
10 Stand by Me--Ben E. King

Singles entering the chart were (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) by the Beastie Boys (#83); Brand New Lover by Dead or Alive (#85); This is the World Calling by Bob Geldof (#86); Somewhere Out There by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram (#88); Girlfriend by Bobby Brown (#89); and We Connect by Stacey Q (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Stand by Me--Ben E. King
2 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
3 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
4 The Next Time I Fall--Peter Cetera with Amy Grant
5 The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh
6 Two of Hearts--Stacey Q
7 Amanda--Boston
8 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
9 The Rain--Oran "Juice" Jones
10 Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles

Singles entering the chart were Ballerina Girl by Lionel Richie (#78); Welcome to the Boomtown by David and David (#87); We're Ready by Boston (#90); Jimmy Lee by Aretha Franklin (#92); Keep Your Hands to Yourself by the Georgia Satellites (#93) and A Hard Day's Night by the Beatles (#97). A Hard Day's Night was a reissue of the title song of the movie and was originally a hit in 1964, but a few months before RPM began publication. The B-side, Things We Said Today, had not previously been released on a single in Canada.

Died on this date
Joe DeSa, 27. U.S. baseball player. Mr. DeSa was a first baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals (1980) and Chicago White Sox (1985), batting .200 with 2 home runs and 7 runs batted in in 35 games. This blogger saw Mr. DeSa play his first professional game with the Calgary Cardinals against the Idaho Falls Angels in a Pioneer League game at Foothills Park in Calgary on June 25, 1977; he played in all 70 of the Cardinals' games that year, batting .272 with 3 home runs and 55 RBIs. Mr. DeSa signed with the Kansas City Royals on November 8, 1986, and was playing in the Puerto Rico Winter League when he was killed in a car accident, hours after hitting 4 doubles for the Ponce Leones against the Mayagüez Indios.

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Radio & Records)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)
2 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
3 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
4 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
5 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
6 No Son of Mine--Genesis
7 Wildside--Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch
8 Finally--Ce Ce Peniston
9 Broken Arrow--Rod Stewart
10 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul

Singles entering the chart were I Love Your Smile by Shanice (#22); Save Up All Your Tears by Cher (#23); I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt (#30); Addams Groove by MC Hammer (#31); Keep it Comin' by Keith Sweat (#35); I'll Get By by Eddie Money (#37); and There Will Never be Another Tonight by Bryan Adams (#40).

Edmontonia
A year after it had closed, the Garneau Theatre reopened as a second-run movie theatre. The theatre, located at 8712 109 St., was built in 1940.

Defense
The U.S. Navy announced plans to close its Argentia, Newfoundland base in 1994; 500 personnel would leave what was once the largest U.S. base on foreign soil.

Abominations
A Missouri court sentenced Palestinian terrorist Zein Isa and his wife Maria to death for the "honour killing" of their daughter Palestina.

Hockey
NHL
National Hockey League governors granted membership to the new Ottawa and Tampa Bay teams; the Ottawa group was led by real estate investor Bruce Firestone.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Léopold Sédar Senghor, 95. 1st President of Senegal, 1960-1980. Professor Senghor was a poet and linguistics professor who was the major theoretician of Négritude, aimed at raising and cultivating "Black consciousness" across Africa and its diaspora; unlike many of its proponents, Prof. Senghor was not a Marxist. He served with the French Colonial Army in World War II, and survived internment in a German prison camp. Prof. Senghor co-founded the Bloc démocratique sénégalais (Senegalese Democratic Bloc) in 1948, and held various offices until taking office as President upon Senegal's independence from France in 1960. He wrote the Senegalese national anthem, and adopted a three-party system--socialist, Communist, and liberal--for the country. Prof. Senghor also served as Senegal's Foreign Minister, and unlike the leaders of most post-colonial African regimes, maintained close relations with France. He retired on December 31, 1980, and was succeeded by Prime Minister Abdou Diouf. Prof. Senghor was a member of the Académie française from 1983 until his death.

Foster Brooks, 89. U.S. comedian. Mr. Brooks was best known for playing the character of a "Loveable Lush" in nightclub and television appearances in the 1960s and '70s. He frequently appeared on The Dean Martin Show and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, receiving an Emmy Award nomination for the former in 1974. Mr. Brooks died of heart failure.

Politics and government
Fernando de la Rua resigned as President of Argentina amidst several days of rioting throughout the nation.

Law
The Quebec provincial government announced that motorists would be allowed to turn right at most red lights, starting August 18, 2002, with the island of Montreal excepted. Quebec and New York City were the last North American jurisdictions to ban such turns.