December 27, 2011

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Marilyn Draper!

490 years ago
1521

Religion
The Zwickau prophets--Nicholas Storch, Thomas Dreschel and Markus Stübner--arrived in Wittenberg after their exile from Zwickau, continuing their radical Reformation activities.

440 years ago
1571

Born on this date
Johannes Kepler. German astronomer and mathematician. Mr. Kepler was one of the most influential astronomers in history, best known for his laws of planetary motion. He believed that God created the world according to an intelligible plan that is accessible through the natural light of reason. Mr. Kepler's books included Astronomia nova (1609); Harmonices Mundi (1619); and Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae (three volumes, 1618-1621). He served as imperial mathematician to Holy Roman Emperors Rudolf II, Matthias, and Ferdinand II, and while often criticizing astrology, devised horoscopes in order to make a living. Mr. Kepler died after a brief illness on November 15, 1630 at the age of 58.

290 years ago
1721

Born on this date
François Hemsterhuis. Dutch philosopher. Mr. Hemsterhuis wrote on aesthetics and moral philosophy. His philosophy has been characterized as Socratic in content and Platonic in form; its foundation was the desire for self-knowledge and truth, untrammelled by the rigid bonds of any particular system. Mr. Hemsterhuis died on July 7, 1790 at the age of 68.

250 years ago
1761

Born on this date
Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, 56. Russian military officer and politician. Prince Michael was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Russian Army who was best known for his military reforms and leadership during the 1812 invasion of Russia by French forces commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte. Prince Michael was Governor-General of Finland from 1809-1810. He died while on a visit to Germany on May 26, 1818 at the age of 56.

240 years ago
1771

Died on this date
Henri Pitot, 76. French physicist and engineer. Mr. Pitot was a hydraulic engineer who invented the Pitot tube, and designed the Aqueduc de Saint-Clément near Montpellier and the extension of Pont du Gard in Nîmes.

180 years ago
1831

Exploration
English naturalist Charles Darwin began his voyage to the New World aboard the HMS Beagle.

130 years ago
1881

Born on this date
António Granjo. Prime Minister of Portugal, 1920, 1921. Mr. Granjo was a lawyer and a republican who was first elected to the National Constituent Assembly in 1911, resigning to serve in World War I. He was President of the Municipal Chamber of Chaves (February-July 1919) and was elected to the Chamber of Deputies later in 1919 as a member of the Evolutionist Party, which soon merged into the Republican Liberal Party. Mr. Granjo led coalition governments from July 19-November 20, 1920 and August 30 until his forced resignation and assassination at the age of 39 on October 19, 1921 as part of the military insurrection known as Bloody Night.

125 years ago
1886

Born on this date
John Kelburne Lawson. Canadian military officer. Brigadier Lawson was commander of the West Brigade on the island of Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion; with his headquarters surrounded, he went out to meet the enemy with a pistol, and was fatally shot on December 19, 1941, eight days before his 55th birthday, becoming the highest-ranking Canadian soldier killed during World War II.

110 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Irene Handl. U.K. actress. Miss Handl was a character actress who appeared in more than 100 movies, as well as numerous television programs, in a career spanning 50 years. Her films included Night Train to Munich (1940); Spellbound (1945); and Brief Encounter (1945). Miss Handl died of breast cancer on November 29, 1987, four weeks before her 86th birthday.

Marlene Dietrich. German-born U.S. actress and singer. Miss Dietrich became a star in her native land with her appearance in The Blue Angel (1930), and then moved to Hollywood, where her movies included Morocco (1930); Blonde Venus (1932); Desire (1936); Destry Rides Again (1939); A Foreign Affair (1948); Witness for the Prosecution (1957); Touch of Evil (1958); and Judgement at Nuremberg (1961). Miss Dietrich was an opponent of Germany's Nazi regime and aided the Allied effort in World War II. She narrated the documentary Black Fox: The True Story of Adolf Hitler, which won the Academy Award as best documentary feature of 1962. Miss Dietrich was known for performing the songs Falling in Love Again and Lili Marlene. She died of kidney failure on May 6, 1992 at the age of 90.

100 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Anna Russell. U.K.-born Canadian musician. Miss Russell, born Anna Russell-Brown, was a pianist and singer known for her parodies of operas, reaching the peak of her popularity in the 1960s. She died on October 18, 2006 at the age of 94.

Indianica
Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem of India, was first sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.

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) (4th week at #1)

War
Japanese planes bombed the undefended open city of Manila for 40 minutes in the morning and 3 hours 22 minutes in the afternoon, starting huge fires. The U.S.S.R. announced the capture of Likhvin, Vysokinichi, Novosil, and Tim on the front southwest of Moscow.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, continuing their talks in Washington, assured representatives of Axis-occupied countries that the United States and United Kingdom would do everything possible to restore their independence after World War II. Mr. Roosevelt announced that "excellent progress" had been made during the conferences of 26 Allied governments in Washington to prosecute the war on a worldwide scale.

Society
U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle issued an order requiring all Japanese, German, and Italian aliens in seven Pacific Coast states to surrender their shortwave radio sets and cameras to local police.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Office of Production Management issued an order, effective immediately, restricting the manufacture of new farm machinery in the 12-month period beginning November 1, 1941 to 83% of 1940 production.

Labour
Federal spokesmen announced that the American Federation of Labor Amalgamated Association of Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employes had agreed to end the six-day strike by 1,500 Greyhound drivers and submit the dispute to arbitration.

Disasters
Lisbon was rocked by a severe earthquake at 6:25 P.M.

Football
NCAA
Blue-Gray Game @ Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
Blue 16 Gray 0

60 years ago
1951

Movies
The New York Film Critics Circle Awards for 1951 were announced. The winners were: Picture--A Streetcar Named Desire; Director--Elia Kazan (A Streetcar Named Desire); Actor--Arthur Kennedy (Bright Victory); Actress--Vivian Leigh (A Streetcar named Desire); Foreign Language Film--Miracolo a Milano (Miracle in Milan).

War
U.S. and Communist truce teams in Panmunjom failed to conclude an armistice by midnight, thus nullifying the November 27 agreement on a Korean cease-fire line.

World events
The Romanian government announced the execution of five Romanians convicted by a military court of spying for the United States.

Politics and government
Former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen announced in Philadelphia that he would seek the 1952 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States.

Crime
Communist Party U.S.A. official Gus Hall was sentenced in New York to an additional three years in prison for jumping bail to escape his five-year sentence for conspiracy.

Transportation
The first right-hand drive automobile for the delivery of mail in the United States was put into service in Cincinnati.

Economics and finance
Brazilian President Getulio Vargas signed a bill enabling the government to control prices and buy and sell essential goods.

Labour
The United Steel Workers of America's Wage Policy Committee cancelled a strike scheduled for January 1, 1952, leaving the strike decision up to a special convention to open January 3 in Atlantic City.

Olympics
Soviet press announced that the U.S.S.R. would enter the Summer Olympic Games in 1952 for the first time since the participation of pre-Soviet Russia in 1912.

50 years ago
1961

At the movies
The Outsider, directed by Delbert Mann, and starring Tony Curtis, James Franciscus, and Bruce Bennett, opened in theatres in Los Angeles.



40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Imagine--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Ame no Midōsuji--Ouyang Fei Fei (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mammy Blue--Pop-Tops (10th week at #1)

Diplomacy
Delegates representing 18 Arab countries met in Cairo to discuss plans for coordinating military and economic strategy against Israel.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): How Great Thou Art--Howard Morrison (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Sharazan--Al Bano & Romina Power

Died on this date
Hoagy Carmichael, 82. U.S. musician and songwriter. Mr. Carmichael, one of the best-known American songwriters of the first half of the 20th century, wrote such standards as Stardust and Georgia on My Mind. He appeared in several movies, usually as a pianist. In the last year or two of his life, Mr. Carmichael appeared in a television commercial for recordings of his greatest hits; the ad began with a clip of Ole Buttermilk Sky, followed by Mr. Carmichael saying, "Ole Buttermilk Sky; they don't make 'em like that anymore--maybe they shouldn't."

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles (13-20-3) 3 @ Edmonton (24-8-6) 10

Wayne Gretzky scored 4 goals and 1 assist to set the league record for the fastest 100 points in a season, helping the Oilers rout the Kings at Northlands Coliseum. Mr. Gretzky was playing his 38th game of the season, breaking Phil Esposito's mark of 51 games set in 1970-71. Mr. Gretzky's goals game him 45 for the season. Steve Bozek scored all 3 Los Angeles goals.

Football
NFL
AFC Wild Card Playoff
Buffalo 31 @ New York Jets 27

See video.

NFC Wild Card Playoff
New York Giants 27 @ Philadelphia 21



25 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: The Final Countdown--Europe (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles (4th 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 (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
2 Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles
3 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
4 Notorious--Duran Duran
5 Shake You Down--Gregory Abbott
6 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
7 Control--Janet Jackson
8 C'est la Vie--Robbie Nevil
9 War--Bruce Springsteen
10 Stand by Me--Ben E. King

The only single entering the chart was Without Your Love by Toto (#78).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
2 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
3 Stand by Me--Ben E. King
4 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
5 The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh
6 The Next Time I Fall--Peter Cetera with Amy Grant
7 Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles
8 The Rain--Oran "Juice" Jones
9 Two of Hearts--Stacey Q
10 Can't Help Falling in Love--Corey Hart

Singles entering the chart were At This Moment by Billy Vera and the Beaters (#89); Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi (#91); Montego Bay by Amazulu (#93); The Best Man in the World by Ann Wilson (#94); and Flying on Your Own by Rita MacNeil (#95).

10 years ago
2001

Abominations
The United States announced plans to hold Taliban and Al-Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

U.S. President George W. Bush permanently normalized trade relations between the U.S.A. and China.

Politics and government
Movement for Multi-Party Democracy candidate Levy Mwanawasa was elected President of Zambia, receiving 29.15% of the vote. United Party for National Development candidate Anderson Mazoka was second with 27.20% of the vote, with nine other candidates also participating. The Movement for Multi-Party Democracy won a plurality of seats in the 159-seat National Assembly, but their total of 69 seats was a decrease of 62 from before the election. Five new parties won at least one seat; the United Party for National Development, in its first election, was second with 49 seats.