December 7, 2011

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Angelina Pratt and Elena!

1,490 years ago
521

Born on this date
Columba. Irish-born cleric. Columba was a Roman Catholic missionary who founded several monasteries in Scotland, most notably the abbey on the island of Iona. He died on June 9, 597 at the age of 75. Columba is a Roman Catholic saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.

175 years ago
1836

Politics and government
Richard M. Johnson of Kentucky became the only Vice President of the United States to be elected by the United States Senate. Mr. Johnson, the running mate of incumbent Vice President and successful Democratic Party presidential candidate Martin Van Buren, had received 147 electoral votes in the November 3 general election, exactly half of the 294 total electoral votes, one short of the required majority. Mr. Van Buren had received 170 electoral votes, but Virginia's 23 electors had acted as "faithless electors," and had refused to vote for Mr. Johnson. William Smith of South Carolina had received the remaining 23 Democratic electoral votes for Vice President. The result had thrown the vice presidential election into the United States Senate for the only time in American history. Mr. Johnson received 33 votes to 16 for Whig Party candidate Francis Granger on the first ballot.

170 years ago
1841

Politics and government
U.S. President John Tyler delivered his first annual State of the Union message to Congress. Subjects included foreign relations and the economy.

120 years ago
1891

Died on this date
Arthur Blyth, 68. U.K.-born Australian politician. Sir Arthur grew up in Birmingham and moved to South Australia with his parents at the age of 16. He held various cabinet posts in South Australia, and served three terms as Premier of South Australia (1864-1865, 1871-1872, 1873-1875). Sir Arthur was appointed as South Australia's agent-general in London in 1877, and represented S.A. at the 1887 colonial conference. He died in Bournemouth, England.

100 years ago
1911

Politics and government
U.S. President William Howard Taft delivered the second part of his four-part annual State of the Union message to Congress. Part II dealt with foreign relations.

Hockey
PCHA
Brothers Lester and Frank Patrick founded the Pacific Coast Hockey Association; the original teams were the New Westminster Royals, Victoria Senators, and Vancouver Millionaires.

75 years ago
1936

Died on this date
Jean Mermoz, 34. French aviator. Mr. Mermoz flew with the Franch Air Force in Syria (1922-1924) before becoming an air mail pilot. He flew from Senegal to Brazil in 1930, and was the chief pilot for Aeroposta Argentina, Argentina's first air mail service. Two days before his 35th birthday, Mr. Mermoz disappeared four hours after taking off from Dakar, Senegal to Natal, Brazil after engine repairs; it was assumed that the engine they had tried to repair lost its propeller midflight, and being one of the aft engines, the loose propeller either badly damaged or cut the hull entirely, causing the plane to lose its tail and crash instantly. An investigative committee of the Uruguayan Parliament concluded in 1941 that the deaths of Mr. Mermoz and his four-man crew were the result of sabotage by Nazi fifth columnists operating in Uruguay, although Mr. Mermoz had been complaining for months about the poor quality of the planes he was forced to fly.

70 years ago
1941

On the radio
Jergens Journal, with Walter Winchell, on NBC

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Mrs. Warren's Key

On television today
Regularly scheduled programming in New York was interrupted by news of the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

War
The United Kingdom and Canada, New Zealand, and India went to war against Finland, Hungary, and Romania at 12:01 A.M. British time. The Royal Canadian Navy Flower Class corvette HMCS Windflower was rammed by the Dutch freighter Zypenberg in dense fog off the Grand Banks, while escorting convoy SC.58; Windflower sank, and 23 of her ship's company were lost. Moscow radio claimed that Soviet troops had broken though German lines at two points on the Moscow front, annihilating two divisions and recapturing a village near Kalinin. Japanese planes bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and declared war on the United States three hours later, bringing the United States into World War II (see also here). U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the entire country to be on a war footing, and in the evening conferred with his cabinet and congressional leaders on his war message; he also talked by transatlantic telephone with U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Censorship was imposed on all messages leaving the United States by radio and cable. U.S. Senator Gerald Nye (Republican--North Dakota) said that the Japanese attack was "just what Britain planned for us," and that the United States had been "doing its utmost to provoke a quarrel with Japan." Canada, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala declared war on Japan.



Labour
U.S. President Roosevelt's Coal Arbitration Board ruled that all coal mine workers must join the Congress of Industrial Organizations United Mine Workers of America as a condition of employment, thus reversing a decision of the National Defense Mediation Board. The United Brotherhood of Welders, Cutters and Helpers ordered strikers to return to work at an ordnance plant in Morgantown, West Virginia because of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. The New Jersey CIO pledged support for President Roosevelt and denounced United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis for his membership in the America First Committee.

Football
NFL
Chicago Bears (10-1) 34 @ Chicago Cardinals (3-7-1) 24
Brooklyn (7-4) 21 @ New York (8-3) 7
Philadelphia (2-8-1) 14 @ Washington (6-5) 20

60 years ago
1951

Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Sneak Attack, starring Zachary Scott, Barbara Joyce, and Theo Goetz



CBS presented the first surgical operation televised in colour, on a coast-to-coast closed circuit.

World events
Israeli authorities seized a cargo of ammunition bound for Egypt from a French ship in Haifa.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly voted 54-5 in favour of asking the Security Council to approve UN membership for Italy.

West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, ending a visit to London, criticized the United Kingdom's "lack of interest" in European unification, and urged the British to establish liaison offices with newly-formed European institutions.

50 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade): Big Bad John--Jimmy Dean (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Tower of Strength--Frankie Vaughan

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Man Killer

Economics and finance
The Bank of Montreal opened a branch in Tokyo, becoming the first Canadian bank in Japan.

40 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Kvällstoppen): Mamy Blue--Pop-Tops (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Mamy Blue--Pop-Tops (9th week at #1)

War
Indian and Bangladeshi forces defeated Pakistani forces in the Battle of Sylhet in Bangladesh.

Politics and government
Pakistani President Yahya Khan announced the formation of a coalition government with Nurul Amin as Prime Minister and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as Deputy Prime Minister.

30 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Physical--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Akujo--Miyuki Nakajima (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Ma Quale Idea--Pino D'Angio (11th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Polonäse Blankenese--Gottlieb Wendehals (a.k.a. Werner Böhm)

20 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Black or White--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Black or White--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Black or White--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Black or White--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Let's Talk About Sex--Salt-N-Pepa (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Qui a le droit...--Patrick Bruel

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--George Michael/Elton John

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Kon Ik Maar Even Bij Je Zijn--Gordon (2nd week at #1)
2 Roodkapje--Pater Moeskroen
3 Let's Talk About Sex!--Salt-N-Pepa
4 Black or White--Michael Jackson
5 I Love Your Smile--Shanice
6 Over and Over Again--Robby Valentine
7 Change--Lisa Stansfield
8 James Brown is Still Alive!!--Holy Noise featuring the Global Insert Project
9 The Fly--U2
10 Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)--Rozalla

Singles entering the chart were Mysterious Ways by U2 (#24); Diamonds & Pearls by Prince & the New Power Generation (#25); Ik Vraag Aan Sinterklaas Een Heel Gelukkig Kerstfeest by Henk Temming (#31); Skat Strut by MC Skat Kat and the Stray Mob (#35); and Elke Vrouw by Hanny (#36).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson
2 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton
3 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn
4 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
5 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
6 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul
7 Cream--Prince and the New Power Generation
8 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
9 That's What Love is For--Amy Grant
10 O.P.P.--Naughty by Nature

Singles entering the chart were Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana (#40); The Unforgiven by Metallica (#65); Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by George Michael/Elton John (#72); Addams Groove by MC Hammer (#84); The Comfort Zone by Vanessa Williams (#86); Diamonds & Pearls by Prince & the New Power Generation (#88); Hearts Don't Think (They Feel) by Natural Selection (#92); and In Paradise by Laissez Faire (#97). Addams Groove was the theme from the movie The Addams Family (1991).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton (2nd week at #1)
2 That's What Love is For--Amy Grant
3 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
4 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul
5 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn
6 Set the Night to Music--Roberta Flack with Maxi Priest
7 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
8 Street of Dreams--Nia Peeples
9 I Wonder Why--Curtis Stigers
10 No Son of Mine--Genesis

Singles entering the chart were Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by George Michael/Elton John (#65); Diamonds & Pearls by Prince & the New Power Generation (#77); Somewhere, Somebody by Aaron Neville (#86); Too Blind to See It by Kym Sims (#89); and I Love Your Smile by Shanice (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Life is a Highway--Tom Cochrane (2nd week at #1)
2 Cream--Prince and the New Power Generation
3 Can't Stop this Thing We Started--Bryan Adams
4 What About Now--Robbie Robertson
5 No Son of Mine--Genesis
6 Broken Arrow--Rod Stewart
7 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton
8 That's What Love is For--Amy Grant
9 Get a Leg Up--John Mellencamp
10 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx

Singles entering the chart were All 4 Love by Color Me Badd (#50); Rescued (By the Arms of Love) by Glass Tiger (#80); Convictions of the Heart by Kenny Loggins (#81); One Little Word by the Boomers (#88); The Sky is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughan (#89); Love Don't Last Forever by Chrissey Steele (#90); Ghosts by Kerri Anderson (#91); Wildside by Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch (#93); and There Will Never Be Another Tonight by Bryan Adams (#96).

Skiing
A.J. Kitt became the first American to win a men's downhill event since the 1984 Winter Olympics when he won the first race of the 1991-92 season at Val D'Isere, France.

Football
NCAA
Navy 24 Army 3 @ Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

10 years ago
2001

War
Afghanistan's Taliban regime surrendered its stronghold in Kandahar.

Economics and finance
Statistics Canada reported an unemployment increase to 7.5%, the highest level since mid-1999.