January 20, 2012

120 years ago
1892

Basketball
The first official game of basketball was played on a YMCA court in Springfield, Massachusetts. There were nine players to a side, and peach baskets hung at each end of the court.

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Beryl Coronet

75 years ago
1937

Politics and government
Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated into his second term as 32nd President of the United States of America, becoming the first U.S. president to be inaugurated on January 20. Inaugurations previously took place on March 4, but with the long "lame duck" period between President Herbert Hoover's loss to Mr. Roosevelt in the election of November 1932 and the March 4, 1933 inauguration, it was thought expedient to move the date forward to speed the transition to a new administration. John Nance Garner was inaugurated into his second term as U.S. Vice-President.

70 years ago
1942

Abominations
At the Wannsee Conference, the Nazis formulated their "final solution" regarding Jews in Germany.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Nata per me--Adriano Celentano (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Young Ones--Cliff Richard (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): The Young Ones--Cliff Richard

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Twist--Chubby Checker (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Twist--Chubby Checker (7th week at #1)
2 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens
3 Peppermint Twist - Part I--Joey Dee & the Starliters
4 I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)--Barbara George
5 Can't Help Falling in Love--Elvis Presley
6 Norman--Sue Thompson
7 A Little Bitty Tear--Burl Ives
8 The Wanderer--Dion
9 Unchain My Heart--Ray Charles
10 Baby It's You--The Shirelles

Singles entering the chart included To a Sleeping Beauty by Jimmy Dean (#73); Crying in the Rain by the Everly Brothers (#75); Midnight in Moscow, with versions by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen; and Jan Burgens and his New Orleans Syncopators (#85); A Little Too Much by Clarence Henry (#86); Tears from an Angel (#88)/Island in the Sky (#100) by Troy Shondell; Percolator by Billy Joe and the Checkmates (#89); Chip Chip by Gene McDaniels (#90); Oliver Twist by Rod McKuen (#92); My Boomerang Won't Come Back by Charlie Drake (#93); Pictures in the Fire (#94)/I'll See You in My Dreams (#98) by Pat Boone; The Lost Penny by Brook Benton (#96); and Hey! Baby by Bruce Channel (also #100). The Looking Ahead chart had Surfin' by the Beach Boys, on Candix 331, listed at #17, marking the Beach Boys' first appearance on the Cash Box singles or Looking Ahead charts.

On television tonight
The Roaring 20's, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The People People Marry

This was the 45th and last episode of the series.

40 years ago
1972

Economics and finance
The number of people in the U.K. listed as unemployed topped one million for the first time since the 1930s.

10 years ago
2002

World events
The publication of photographs of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba sparked concern that their rights were being abused.

Football
NFL
AFC
Divisional Playoff
Baltimore 10 @ Pittsburgh 27

NFC
Divisional Playoff
Green Bay 17 @ St. Louis 45

January 19, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Inese!

120 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Mady Christians. Austrian-born U.S. actress. Miss Christians, a native of Vienna, moved to Berlin with her family at the age of 1 and to New York City in 1912, where her father was a theatre manager. She appeared in movies in Europe from 1916-1933, including Dich hab ich geliebt (It's You I Have Loved) (1929), Germany's first all-sound film. Miss Christians moved to the United States in 1934, and became known for her starring roles in plays such as Watch on the Rhine (1941) and I Remember Mama (1944). Her Hollywood movies included Come and Get It (1936); Tender Comrade (1943); and All My Sons (1948). Miss Christians was critical of U.S. congressional investigation of alleged Communists, which led the Federal Bureau of Investigation's security division to begin investigating her. Miss Christians was offered a role in the Somerset Maugham TV Theatre production of The Mother (1951), but was dropped a week before rehearsals were to begin, although she was still offered the salary. She was briefly hospitalized as a result of the stress, and collapsed and died from a cerebral hemorrhage at a friend's home on October 28, 1951 at the age of 59.

60 years ago
1952

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads (Best Seller--4th week at #1, Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1); Slow Poke--Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys (Jukebox--3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Slow Poke--Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys (2nd week at #1)
2 Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads
3 (It's No) Sin--The Four Aces
--Eddy Howard
4 Down Yonder--Del Wood
--Joe "Fingers" Carr
--Champ Butler
5 Undecided--The Ames Brothers and Les Brown and his Band of Renown
6 Shrimp Boats--Jo Stafford
7 The Little White Cloud that Cried--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads
8 Charmaine--Mantovani and his Orchestra
9 Tell Me Why--The Four Aces
--Eddie Fisher
10 Cold, Cold Heart--Tony Bennett

Singles entering the chart were Blue Tango by Leroy Anderson and his "Pops" Concert Orchestra (#29); I Wanna Say Hello by Ellen Sutton (#30); and Trust in Me by Eddie Fisher (#33). Trust in Me was the B-side of Tell Me Why.

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Dead Man's Shoes, starring Warren Stevens and Richard Devon

40 years ago
1972

On television tonight
Rod Serling's Night Gallery, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Miracle at Camafeo, starring Harry Guardino, Julie Adams, and Ray Danton; The Ghost of Sorworth Place, starring Richard Kiley and Jill Ireland

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Funkytown--Pseudo Echo (5th week at #1)

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Goodnight Girl--Wet Wet Wet

10 years ago
2002

Football
NFC
Divisional Playoff
Philadelphia 33 @ Chicago 19

AFC
Divisional Playoff
Oakland 13 @ New England 16 (OT)

60,020 saw the Patriots edge the Raiders on a snowy Saturday night at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal with 27 seconds remaining in regulation time to tie the game for the Patriots, and he kicked the winning field goal at 8:29 of the first overtime period. The Patriots benefited from some controversial officials' calls.

January 18, 2012

230 years ago
1782

Born on this date
Daniel Webster. U.S. politician. A native of Salisbury, New Hampshire, Mr. Webster was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1813-1817 and 1823-1827; a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1827-1841 and 1845-1850; and U.S. Secretary of State from 1841-1843 and 1850 until his death on October 24, 1852.

170 years ago
1842

Born on this date
A.A. Ames. U.S. politician. Surgeon Major Albert Alonzo Ames, the son of a physician, received his medical degree in 1862, and served with the Union Army in the American Civil War. He was a Democrat until 1900 and a Republican thereafter, and represented the 5th District in the Minnesota House of Representatives (1867-1868) and then served four terms as Mayor of Minneapolis (1876-1877, 1882-1884, 1886-1889, 1901-1902), which were increasingly characterized by accusations of corruption. Dr. Ames and the Minneapolis police department ran the municipal government as a criminal operation until he resigned and fled the state in 1902 after being indicted for corruption. He was arrested in New Hampshire in 1903 and extradited to Minneapolis, where a conviction, resulting in a prison sentence, was overturned on appeal, and two subsequent trials resulted in mistrials. Dr. Ames practiced medicine in Minneapolis until his sudden death on November 16, 1911 at the age of 69.

150 years ago
1862

Died on this date
John Tyler, 71. 10th President of the United States, 1841-1845. Mr. Tyler, a native of Charles City County, Virginia, was elected Vice-President of the United States in 1840 as the running mate to Whig party candidate William Henry Harrison. When Mr. Harrison died just one month after taking office in 1841, Mr. Tyler became the first vice-president to assume the presidency upon the death of the president. He stood against much of the Whig platform while president, which led to him being the first president to face impeachment proceedings, which were unsuccessful. Mr. Tyler's most notable accomplishments as president included two vetoes of legislation calling for a national banking act, and the annexation of Texas. When Virginia voted to secede from the union in 1861, Mr. Tyler was elected to the House of Representatives of the Confederate Congress, but took ill in Richmond and died shortly before the session of Congress began. Since he was a Confederate at the time of his death, he was the only U.S. President not to be officially mourned by the U.S. government. I have relatives in Virginia, and I've been told that I'm distantly related to Mr. Tyler.

120 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Oliver Hardy. U.S. actor. The fat half of the Laurel and Hardy comedy team was born in Harlem, Georgia. He died on August 7, 1957 at the age of 65 after a heart attack and a series of strokes.

100 years ago
1912

Exploration
A British team lead by Robert Falcon Scott arrived at the South Pole, only to find to their dismay that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had come and gone a month earlier, leaving the Scott expedition as the second party to reach the pole.

70 years ago
1942

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Three Garridebs

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Frankenstein, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Allyn Edwards, and John Newland

This episode almost ended Mr. Chaney's career. Having apparently had a few drinks before the show, he was under the impression that it was a dress rehearsal, and didn't know that it was being broadcast live. Instead of smashing chairs, he gently put them down.



Died on this date
Jerome "Curly" Howard, 48. U.S. actor. Mr. Howard, born Jerome Horwitz in Brooklyn, New York on Ocotber 22, 1903, the most beloved of the Three Stooges comedy team died after a series of strokes.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): The Young Ones--Cliff Richard and the Shadows (2nd week at #1)

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

40 years ago
1972

World events
Former Southern Rhodesian Prime Minister Garfield Todd and his daughter Judith were arrested after violence erupted over Anglo-Rhodesian plans for independence.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Down Under--Men at Work (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Robert Ray. U.S. military officer. Lieutenant Colonel Ray, a military aide, was shot dead outside his Paris home by a single gunman as he was walking to his car. French police said that the assassin appeared to be Middle Eastern, and that only one shot was fired, hitting Lt. Col. Ray in the head. The Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Faction announced in Beirut that it was responsible for the assassination.

Diplomacy
Israel asked Egypt to alter its border on the Sinai peninsula to avoid splitting the Palestinian town of Rafah when the area was to be turned over to Egypt in April. The Israelis preferred Rafah to be totally inside Israel, but they would accept a proposal to have it inside Egyptian territory, feeling that a divided town would have a potential for terrorist infiltration and arms smuggling from Egypt into the Gaza Strip.

Society
U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that the Internal Revenue Service would withhold federal tax exemptions from racially imbalanced private schools until Congress acted on the issue. However, tax-exempt status was reinstated for two schools that practiced discrimination: Bob Jones University and Goldsboro Christian Schools.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in France: T'en va pas--Elsa (3rd week at #1)

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Black or White--Michael Jackson (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Black or White--Michael Jackson (8th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Song of Ocarina--Jean-Philippe Audin and Diego Modena

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Black or White--Michael Jackson (7th week at #1)

U.S. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)
2 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
3 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
4 It's so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
5 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me--George Michael/Elton John
6 No Son of Mine--Genesis
7 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--PM Dawn
8 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul
9 Mysterious Ways--U2
10 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx

Singles entering the chart included Vibeology by Paula Abdul (#54) and Good for Me by Amy Grant (#55).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson
2 Mysterious Ways--U2
3 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
4 No Son of Mine--Genesis
5 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton
6 Broken Arrow--Rod Stewart
7 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul
8 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
9 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn
10 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd

Singles entering the chart were I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred (#64); Addams Groove by Hammer (#71); and It's so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Boyz II Men (#77).

10 years ago
2002

World events
Israeli tanks surrounded the headquarters of Palestinian National Authority leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah, effectively putting him under house arrest.

War
Sierra Leonian President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah ceremonially declared that the country’s civil war, which had begun in 1991, was over.

Business
Newport Mining, based in Denver, Colorado, bought Normandy Mining of Australia, making Newmont the largest gold mining concern in the world.

January 17, 2012

400 years ago
1612

Born on this date
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron. English military officer and politician. Sir Thomas was Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. He led the Parliamentary forces to many victories, but was eventually overshadowed by his subordinate, Oliver Cromwell. Sir Thomas opposed the trial and execution of King Charles I, and resigned his command. He was elected to the First Protectorate for West Riding in 1654 and to the Third Protectorate Parliament for Yorkshire in 1659. Sir Thomas was re-elected in Yorkshire to the Convention Parliament in 1660, and headed the House of Commons commission that waited upon King Charles II at The Hague and urged his speedy return to England. Sir Thomas was spared the retribution exacted on many other leaders of the revolution, and spent his last 11 years in retirement, dying at the age of 59 on November 12, 1671.

130 years ago
1882

Born on this date
Noah Beery, Sr.. U.S. actor. Mr. Beery, the older brother of actor Wallace Beery and father of actor Noah Beery, Jr., was a character actor who appeared in over 200 movies, including The Mark of Zorro (1920); The Vanishing American (1925); Beau Geste (1926); and She Done Him Wrong (1933). He died of a heart attack at his brother's home on April 1, 1946 while they were celebrating Wallace's birthday and rehearsing a radio drama they were to appear in that night.

70 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Chattanooga Choo Choo--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (7th week at #1)

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Muhammad Ali! The three-time world heavyweight boxing champion was born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky.

Died on this date
Walter von Reichenau, 57. German military officer. Generalfeldmarschall Reichenau joined the Prussian Army in 1903, and served with the German Army in both World Wars. He commanded the 10th Army during the invasion of Poland and the 6th Army during the invasions of Belgium and France, and as part of Army Group South during the invasion of the Soviet Union. Generalfeldmarschall Reichenau was an outspoken supporter of Adolf Hitler and a member of the Nazi Party, and in October 1941 issued the Severity Order, which led to the mass murder of 33,000 Jews by the SS Einsatzgruppen at Babi Yar in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. Generalfeldmarschall Reichenau reportedly suffered a heart attack after his daily cross-country run in cold weather on January 14, 1942, and died while being flown to a hospital in Leipzig, although there are differing accounts of his death.



60 years ago
1952

At the movies
Phone Call from a Stranger, directed by Jean Negulesco, and starring Shelley Winters, Gary Merrill, Michael Rennie, and Bette Davis, received its premiere screening in London.



40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Betty Smith, 75. U.S. authoress. Mrs. Smith wrote four novels, but was best known for her first, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943). She died of pneumonia.

Diplomacy
The Pearce Commission, a British group whose eight-week mission was to conduct a survey of public opinion in Rhodesia toward an agreement to restore normal relations between that country and the United Kingdom, arrived in Salisbury.

Law
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the state’s death penalty was unconstitutional because it violated the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 20 men on death row in Trenton State prison were to have their sentences reduced to life imprisonment.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: The Final Countdown--Europe (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)--Jackie Wilson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Shake You Down--Gregory Abbott

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Shake You Down--Gregory Abbott
2 Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles
3 C'est la Vie--Robbie Nevil
4 Notorious--Duran Duran
5 Control--Janet Jackson
6 At this Moment--Billy Vera and the Beaters
7 Land of Confusion--Genesis
8 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
9 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
10 Open Your Heart--Madonna

Singles entering the chart included Jacob's Ladder by Huey Lewis and the News (#39); Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby and the Range (#59); Respect Yourself by Bruce Willis (#64); All I Want by Howard Jones (#86); and Don't Dream it's Over by Crowded House (#90).

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

Singles entering the chart were Jacob's Ladder by Huey Lewis and the News (#86); Respect Yourself by Bruce Willis (#90); Without Your Love by Toto (#93); I Need Your Loving by the Human League (#95); and Ain't No Cure for Love by Jennifer Warnes (#96).

20 years ago
1992

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the nation’s trade deficit had narrowed to $3.57 billion in November 1991, the smallest in nine years.

10 years ago
2002

Economics and finance
Argentina reopened its stock exchange and replaced the president of the central bank.

Diplomacy
Colin Powell became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit the Afghan capital of Kabul since Henry Kissinger in 1976.

January 16, 2012

70 years ago
1942

Died on this date
Carole Lombard, 33. U.S. actress. Born Jane Alice Peters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Miss Lombard was known for her roles in screwball comedy movies such as Twentieth Century (1934); My Man Godfrey (1936); Nothing Sacred (1937); Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). She was killed in a plane crash while flying back to Hollywood after visiting Indiana in a drive to sell war bonds.

60 years ago
1952

At the movies
Scandal Sheet, directed by Phil Karlson, and starring Broderick Crawford, Donna Reed, and John Derek, opened in theatres.





50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Door Without a Key, starring Claude Rains, John Larch, and Billy Mumy

40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Ross Bagdasarian, 52. U.S. recording artist and actor. Mr. Bagdasarian recorded under the name David Seville, and was best known for the novelty songs Witch Doctor and The Chipmunk Song, both of which reached #1 on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1958. He created the cartoon "chipmunks" Simon, Theodore, and Alvin, achieving the voice effects by manipulating the speed control on a tape recorder. Mr. Bagdasarian appeared in small roles in several plays and films, most notably as a songwriter and pianist in the movie Rear Window (1954). Mr. Bagdasarian died of a heart attack, 11 days before his 53rd birthday. His son Ross, Jr. carried on the Chipmunks franchise.

Politics and government
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat named Aziz Sidky as the nation’s new Premier, succeeding Mahmoud Fawzi.

Football
NFL
Super Bowl VI @ Tulane Stadium, New Orleans
Dallas 24 Miami 3

Duane Thomas rushed 19 times for 95 yards and a touchdown and caught 3 passes for 17 yards as the Cowboys won the Super Bowl for the first time. Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach completed 12 of 19 passes for 119 yards, including touchdown passes to Lance Alworth and Mike Ditka. Mike Clark added 3 converts and a 9-yard field goal. The Dolphins' only scoring came on a 31-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian in the 2nd quarter. The Cowboys outrushed the Dolphins 255 yards to 81. Tom Landry won the battle of head coaches over Don Shula before 81,023 fans.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: The Land of Make Believe--Bucks Fizz

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Physical--Olivia Newton-John (7th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall and John Oates
2 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
3 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
4 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind and Fire
5 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
6 Centerfold--J. Geils Band
7 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
8 Turn Your Love Around--George Benson
9 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
10 Comin' In and Out of Your Life--Barbra Streisand

Singles entering the chart were Open Arms by Journey (#58); Mirror, Mirror by Diana Ross (#59); Spirits in the Material World by the Police (#67); That Girl by Stevie Wonder (#69); Daddy's Home by Cliff Richard (#72); When All is Said and Done by Abba (#74); Let's Get it Up by AC/DC (#81); You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration by Teddy Pendergrass (#82); One Hundred Ways by Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram (#83); Tell Me Tomorrow (Part 1) by Smokey Robinson (#84); I Believe by Chilliwack (#85); Should I Do It by the Pointer Sisters (#86); Perhaps Love by Placido Domingo and John Denver (#89); and Call Me by Skyy (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (5th week at #1)
2 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
3 Under Pressure--Queen and David Bowie
4 Centerfold--J. Geils Band
5 Our Lips are Sealed--Go-Go's
6 Oh No--Commodores
7 My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack
8 Shake it Up--The Cars
9 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
10 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner

Singles entering the chart were Spirits in the Material World by the Police (#40); Feel Like a Number by Bob Seger (#45); Sweet Dreams by Air Supply (#46); and Love is Alright Tonite by Rick Springfield (#48).

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton 1 @ Toronto 7

Norm Aubin scored the game's first 2 goals and added 2 assists for the Maple Leafs as they upset the Oilers at Maple Leaf Gardens. Rick Vaive added 2 goals and an assist and Wilf Paiement scored a goal and 2 assists for Toronto. Wayne Gretzky scored his 57th goal of the season for the Oilers, but was also stopped on a penalty shot by goalie Bunny Larocque, who made 34 saves in his best game in a Toronto uniform.



25 years ago
1987

World events
Ecuadorean President Leon Febres Cordero and about 30 members of his military staff were seized and held for 12 hours by air force troops at a base near Guyaquil until the president met the captors’ demands and ordered the release of General Frank Vargas Pazzos, who had been imprisoned after a rebellion attempt in 1986. The air force troops, all but two of whom were enlisted men, opened fire on the president’s party during a military review, killing two bodyguards and wounding seven other people. Mr. Febres was freed after Gen. Vargas came to the base. The president claimed to have been beaten by his captors, but promised not to punish them.

Politics and government
After a meeting of China’s ruling politburo, a communiqué was issued stating that Hu Yaobing, 71, had resigned as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee and had been succeeded as acting secretary by Premier Zhao Ziyang. The communiqué said that Mr. Hu had been accused of “mistakes on major issues of political principle.” The communiqué endorsed supreme leader Deng Xiaoping’s reforms and approaches to Western nations.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced that the nation’s output from factories, mines, and utilities had declined 0.9% in 1986.

Disasters
At least 50 people died when a boat carrying passengers to a Roman Catholic festival sank near Abugan Island in the central Philippines.

20 years ago
1992

War
12 years of civil war in El Salvador formally ended when the government signed a peace treaty with guerrilla leaders.

Diplomacy
Several days of peace talks in Washington between Israeli and Arab representatives ended with little apparent progress. The issues had included Israel's plan to construct 5,000 houses in the Gaza Strip and Paestinian desires for self-government.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that consumer prices had risen 3.1% in 1991, the lowest annual increase since 1986.

10 years ago
2002

Protest
Riots broke out in Lagos as the Nigerian Labour Congress began a general strike to protest an 18% increase in the price of gasoline and diesel fuel and a 40% increase in the price of kerosene.

Oil
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Sao Tome and Principe President launched the Joint High Authority to manage exploration in the Gulf of Guinea.

January 15, 2012

580 years ago
1432

Born on this date
Afonso V. King of Portugal, 1438-1481. Afonso V acceded to the throne upon the death of his father Duarte, and lived under a regency until he came of age in 1448. His army conquered Alcácer Ceguer and Arzila in what is now Morocco, earning him the nickname "The African." An unsuccessful campaign against Castile resulted in King Afonso retiring to a monastery, where he died on August 28, 1481 at the age of 49. He was succeeded by his son João II.

120 years ago
1892

Basketball
Basketball's founder, Dr. James Naismith, published the first rules for the new game in Springfield, Massachusetts.

70 years ago
1942

Baseball
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote his "Green Light" letter to Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, urging baseball to keep going during World War II to boost public morale.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Spider, starring Olive Deering and Arnold Moss



50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
Thriller, hosted by Boris Karloff, on NBC
Tonight's episode: La Strega, starring Ursula Andress, Alejandro Rey, and Jeanette Nolan



40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)--New Seekers (2nd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Imagine--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (3rd week at #1)
2 Maggie May/Reason to Believe--Rod Stewart
3 Peace Train--Cat Stevens
4 The Banks of the Ohio--Olivia Newton-John
5 Speak to the Sky--Rick Springfield
6 Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves--Cher
7 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul and Linda McCartney
8 Mammy Blue--Joel Dayde
9 The Desiderata--Les Crane
10 Love is a Beautiful Song--Dave Mills

Singles entering the chart were Baby I'm-A Want You by Bread (#23); Brand New Key by Melanie (#37); and Theme from Shaft by Isaac Hayes (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): American Pie, Parts I and II--Don McLean

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Brand New Key--Melanie
2 American Pie, Parts I and II--Don McLean
3 Cherish--David Cassidy
4 Let's Stay Together--Al Green
5 Scorpio--Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band
6 Sunshine--Jonathan Edwards
7 Family Affair--Sly and the Family Stone
8 Sugar Daddy--The Jackson 5
9 Drowning in the Sea of Love--Joe Simon
10 Clean Up Woman--Betty Wright

Singles entering the chart were Hurting Each Other by Carpenters (#61); We've Got to Get it On Again by the Addrisi Brothers (#88); Softly Whispering I Love You by English Congregation (#89); You Want It, You Got It by the Detroit Emeralds (#92); Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Roberta Flack (#94); Diamonds are Forever by Shirley Bassey (#95); Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'n Roll You by Ten Years After (#97); Move 'Em Out by Delaney & Bonnie & Friends (#98); and Footstompin' Music by Grand Funk Railroad (#100).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Brand New Key--Melanie (2nd week at #1)
2 American Pie, Parts I and II--Don McLean
3 Cherish--David Cassidy
4 Hey Girl--Donny Osmond
5 Got to Be There--Michael Jackson
6 Sunshine--Jonathan Edwards
7 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
8 All I Ever Need is You--Sonny and Cher
9 Devil You--Stampeders
10 Day After Day--Badfinger

Singles entering the chart were Music from Across the Way by James Last (#72); My Love Sings by Joey Gregorash (#90); Under My Wheels by Alice Cooper (#91); Kiss an Angel Good Morning by Charley Pride (#92); The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Robert John (#93); Joy by Apollo 100 (#94); Keep Playin' that Rock and Roll by Edgar Winter (#95); Once You Understand by Think (#97); Hurting Each Other by the Carpenters (#98); Goin' Down (On the Road to L.A.) by Black and Ward (#99); and Rock 'N' Roll by Detroit (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 American Pie, Parts I and II--Don McLean (2nd week at #1)
2 I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)--New Seekers
3 Brand New Key--Melanie
4 Friends with You--John Denver
5 Day After Day--Badfinger
6 Sunshine--Jonathan Edwards
7 No Good to Cry--The Poppy Family
8 Take it Slow--Lighthouse
9 Nothing to Hide--Tommy James
10 Do I Love You--Paul Anka
Pick hit of the week: Sugar Daddy--The Jackson 5

World events
The day after several weeks of fishing talks between Ecuador and the U.S.A. had ended, Ecuador seized three American tuna boats, claiming that the boats were fishing within the 200-mile limit claimed by Ecuador.

Princess Margrethe, 31, became Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, succeeding to the throne that had been occupied by her father, Frederik IX, who had died the previous day.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. expelled U.S. Congressman James Scheuer (Democrat--New York), charging him with improper activity while on Congressional business there. Mr. Scheuer, a Jew, denied the charges on his arrival in London, claiming he had only shown sympathetic concern for the status of Soviet Jews, but sensed a "demonstrable loosening" of Soviet attitudes toward Jews. Mr. Scheuer hailed as a "promising start" the issuing of 15,000 exit permits to Jews for emigration to Israel, but added that it was only "scratching the surface." Mr. Scheuer also noted that there had been "a decrease in the number of Jewish professional people granted permits."

Politics and government
Italian Premier and Christian Democratic party leader Emilio Colombo presented his cabinet's collective resignation to the country's new President, Giovanni Leone. Mr. Leone asked Mr. Colombo, who had been in office since August 6, 1970, to stay on as interim Premier.

Boxing
Joe Frazier (28-0) retained his world heavyweight title with a technical knockout of Terry Daniels (28-5-1) in the 4th round at Rivergate Auditorium in New Orleans.



30 years ago
1982

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department announced that the Producer Price Index for finished goods had risen 0.3% in December, and that the increase for all of 1981 was 7%.

25 years ago
1987

On television tonight
Our World, hosted by Linda Ellerbee and Ray Gandolf, on ABC

Tonight's episode: Fear and Frustration: Winter 1952



Crime
British police Inspector Douglas Lovelock, whose shooting of an innocent Negro woman during a 1985 raid on her home had prompted riots in the London area of Brixton was cleared of all criminal charges.

Economics and finance
A record 253.1 million shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden: Black or White--Michael Jackson (9th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Grandpa's Car

World events
The European Community recognized Croatia and Slovenia as separate states.

Health
Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island ordered mass vaccination programs to protest children and teenagers from an outbreak of meningococcal disease that had killed six in the previous month.

January 14, 2012

120 years ago
1892

Died on this date
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, 28. The oldest child of the Prince of Wales--the future King Edward VII--was second in line, after his father, to the British throne. Known to his family as "Eddy," he died during an influenza epidemic. Prince Eddy's fiancee, Princess Mary of Teck, married Eddy's younger brother George, who became King George V in 1910. Prince Eddy's character and intellect have been the subjects of speculation by historians; see the Wikipedia entry for more.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Blood Relation, starring Nina Foch and Franchot Tone

40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Frederik IX, 72. King of Denmark, 1947-1972. Frederik IX acceded to the throne upon the death of his father Christian X, after having acted as regent from 1942-1943 when King Christian was temporarily incapacitated. King Frederik's reign saw the modernization of Denmark from an agricultural to a welfare state. He died several days after taking ill with flu-like symptoms and then suffering cardiac arrest. Frederik IX was succeeded by his daughter Princess Margrethe, who became Queen Margrethe II.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CFRN)
1 Comin' in and Out of Your Life--Barbra Streisand
2 I Wouldn't Have Missed it for the World--Ronnie Milsap
3 Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight--Eddie Rabbitt
4 Twilight--Electric Light Orchestra
5 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
6 Cool Night--Paul Davis
7 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
8 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall & John Oates
9 Turn Your Love Around--George Benson
10 She's Got a Way--Billy Joel

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): One Love to Give--Stéphanie

Died on this date
Douglas Sirk, 89. German-born U.S. movie director. Mr. Sirk, born Hans Detlef Sierck, fled Nazi Germany in 1937 for Hollywood, where he was best known for melodramatic films such as Magnificent Obsession (1954); All that Heaven Allows (1955); Written on the Wind (1956); and Imitation of Life (1959).

Turgut Demirağ, 65. Turkish film producer, director and screenwriter. Mr. Demirağ produced 64 movies, directed 19, and wrote 19 from 1947-1974. He produced and directed Evvel zaman içinde (1951), Turkey's first full-length animated feature film; unfortunately, the negatives of the film were lost when they were sent to MGM Studios in California for colour printing, and have never been found.

Economics and finance
The United States dollar was valued at 152.77 Japanese yen, the dollar's lowest value since the end of World War II.

20 years ago
1992

Environment
A male and female California condor were released into the wild as the first step toward restoring the birds to their natural habitat. Reduced to 27 in number in 1987, there were now 52. By April 2011, the number had increased to 394, 181 in the wild.

10 years ago
2002

Health
The British government announced that the U.K. was free of foot-and-mouth disease, ending a crisis that had lasted 11 months.

January 13, 2012

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Gloria Scott

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Out There, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Castaway, starring Casey Allen, Herbert Berghof, Grant Gordon, and Robert F. Simon

This was the 12th and last episode of the series.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Nata per me--Adriano Celentano (8th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Young Ones--Cliff Richard

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Twist--Chubby Checker (2nd week at #1)

The Twist had previously occupied the #1 spot on September 19, 1960.

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Twist--Chubby Checker (6th week at #1)
2 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens
3 Peppermint Twist - Part I--Joey Dee & the Starliters
4 Can't Help Falling in Love--Elvis Presley
5 I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)--Barbara George
6 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
7 Walk on By--Leroy Van Dyke
8 When the Boy in Your Arms (Is the Boy in Your Heart)--Connie Francis
9 Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen--Neil Sedaka
10 Please Mr. Postman--The Marvelettes

Singles entering the chart were Break it to Me Gently (#65)/So Deep (#68) by Brenda Lee; The Greatest Hurt (#76)/There'll Be No Next Time (#87) by Jackie Wilson; Shadrack by Brook Benton (#78); Imagination by the Quotations (#85); Surfer's Stomp by the Marketts (#88); Where Have All the Flowers Gone by the Kingston Trio (#95); The Door is Open by Tommy Hunt (#99); and What's So Good About Good-By by the Miracles (#100).

On television tonight
The Roaring 20's, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Footlights

Died on this date
Ernie Kovacs, 42. U.S. comedian, actor, and songwriter. Generally regarded as the most innovative comedian of television's "Golden Age" in the 1950s, Mr. Kovacs was killed in an accident while driving his new 1962 Chevrolet Corvair home from a party.

40 years ago
1972

World events
An army coup led by Lieutenant Colonel I. K. Acheampong deposed Ghanaian Prime Minister Kofi Busia while the prime minister was in London for medical treatment.

War
U.S. President Richard Nixon announced that 70,000 more combat troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam by May 1, reducing the total remaining in Vietnam to 69,000--the lowest figure since 1965. Mr. Nixon expressed confidence that "the Vietnamization program has moved forward with sufficient vigor and progress so that the South Vietnamese are in a position where they can provide for the security responsibilities."

One day after guerrillas had shelled a northern Israeli town, Israeli troops raided Lebanon and crossed to Kafra, 6 miles north of the border between Israel and Lebanon.

Defense
U.S. government officials revealed that the State Department had signed an agreement in principle with Israel in November 1971 to help Israel in making "certain U.S.-designed defense equipment" herself, in an effort to make Israel more self-sufficient in producing her own weapons and less dependent on the United States. No "specific items" had been covered by the pact, but they would be covered on a case-by-case basis in the future.

Terrorism
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that a 33-year-old AWOL Army private with a degree in psychology from Stanford University was being sought in a plot that involved bombs being placed in banks in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. The bombs had been discovered on January 7 after their locations had been disclosed in anonymous letters calling for the release of all "political prisoners."

30 years ago
1982

Weather
After more than two weeks of bitterly cold temperatures in Edmonton, it suddenly warmed up to about 40 F--just for that day.

Terrorism
Gunmen entered the village of Libertad las Cruces, 55 miles south of Guatemala City, and killed 12 members of a single family, aged 6 to 65. Meanwhile, Gutemalan government troops killed 23 guerrillas in fighting near San Juan de Comala, 50 miles west of the capital.

Disasters
78 of 83 people aboard were killed when Air Florida Flight 90, a twin-Engine Boeing 737 jetliner which had taken off in a snowstorm from National Airport in Washington, D.C. during the afternoon traffic rush hour, crashed into the crowded 14th Street Bridge, hit several cars, broke up, and plunged into the Potomac River. Four of the 78 fatalities were people killed in their cars on the bridge. Witnesses reported a considerable buildup of snow and ice on the plane's fuselage and wings, and investigation revealed that a de-icing device in the engine system had been turned off before the crash.



Medicine
It was announced that a team of doctors at the University of Washington led by Alexander Fefer had developed a bone-marrow treatment for chronic granulocytic leukemia, a disease that usually struck people in their 30s and 40s and usually proved fatal within 2-4 years. Bone marrow transplants tried on 12 patients--all identical twins--had resulted in 8 of the 12 being free of the disease within five years, and only one had died.

Baseball
Hank Aaron, who hit a record 755 home runs in a major league career spanning 23 seasons with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves (1954-1974) and Milwaukee Brewers (1975-1976) was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, but somehow was left off the ballots of 9 of the 415 writers casting votes.

25 years ago
1987

Crime
Hector Escudero Aponte, a maintenance worker at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was arraigned on 96 counts of murder after admitting to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation that he had started a fire, intended to be a small fire, in the hotel on New Year's Eve 1986, that had killed 96 people. Another man was charged in the case the following day, and a third man on January 29.

Disasters
All 54 people aboard an Ethiopian air force plane were killed when it killed shortly after takeoff from Asmara, Eritrea.

10 years ago
2002

Theatre
The Fantasticks, which had been running off-Broadway at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in New York City's Greenwich Village since 1960, closed after 17,162 performances.

January 12, 2012

90 years ago
1922

Boxing
World light heavyweight champion Georges Carpentier (83-12-5) knocked out heavyweight George Cook (6-11-1) in the 4th round at Royal Albert Hall in London.



75 years ago
1937

At the movies
Der Hund von Baskerville (The Hound of the Baskervilles), starring Bruno Güttner, Fritz Odemar, and Peter Voss, opened in theatres in Germany.

60 years ago
1952

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads (Best Seller--3rd week at #1, Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1); Slow Poke--Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys (Jukebox--2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Slow Poke--Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys
--Arthur Godfrey
--Helen O'Connell
2 Down Yonder--Del Wood
--Joe "Fingers" Carr
--Champ Butler
3 (It's No) Sin--The Four Aces
--Eddy Howard
4 Cold, Cold Heart--Tony Bennett
5 Charmaine--Mantovani and his Orchestra
6 Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads
7 The Little White Cloud that Cried--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads
8 Jealousy (Jalousie)--Frankie Laine
9 Shrimp Boats--Jo Stafford
10 Undecided--The Ames Brothers and Les Brown and his Band of Renown

The Little White Cloud that Cried was the B-side of Cry.
Singles entering the chart were A Garden in the Rain by the Four Aces (#26); Taking a Chance on Love by Billy Eckstine and George Shearing (#28); and Be My Life's Companion, with versions by the Mills Brothers and Rosemary Clooney (#31).

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: One More Pallbearer, starring Joseph Wiseman

40 years ago
1972

On television tonight
Rod Serling's Night Gallery, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Lindemann's Catch, starring Stuart Whitman and Harry Townes; A Feast of Blood, starring Sondra Locke, Norman Lloyd, and Hermione Baddeley; The Late Mr. Peddington, starring Harry Morgan and Kim Hunter

Crime
The body of Grace Todd, 32, was discovered in a freezer belonging to her husband David, 37, who had recently moved into a house in Toronto belonging to the family of a 21-year-old acquaintance named Charles Cassidy. Mr. Cassidy and his sister Catherine, their mother, and friends John Moore and Layne Jackson were watching an old episode of One Step Beyond on television. The plot involved a body in a trunk, and, while Mr. Todd was asleep in an upstairs bedroom, the others decided to pry open the freezer. They discovered the body of Mr. Todd's wife Grace, who had disappeared on July 30, 1971, but had actually been shot and killed by Mr. Todd at the end of a violent argument. Mr. Todd readily confessed, pled guilty to manslaughter, and was sentenced to 10 years in the Kingston penitentiary. The details can be found in Max Haines' book Bothersome Bodies (1977), pp. 166-176.

30 years ago
1982

World events
It was reported on Haitian television that the three rebels who had been captured by government troops on Tortuga the previous day had died of their wounds. Five others were still being sought from an attempt to overthrow President Jean-Claude Duvalier. The rebels had captured the island of Tortuga on January 10 and had captured the mainland town of Port-au-Paix on January 11.

The government of Poland indicated that it wanted to end martial law by February 1 and that it wanted Solidarity labour movement leader Lech Walesa to participate in labour talks.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Funkytown--Pseudo Echo (4th week at #1)

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Bohemian Rhapsody/These are the Days of Our Lives--Queen (5th week at #1)

Politics and government
Algeria's new ruling council cancelled the runoff election that would have determined the winners of parliamentary seats where no candidate had a majority in the first round of voting. The new council was quickly superseded by a new body, the State Security Panel, which voided the results of the December 26, 1991 election, in which the Islamic Salvation Front had come close to winning a majority, and the ruling National Liberation Front had run a poor third.

Football
NFL
AFC Championship
Denver 7 @ Buffalo 10

NFC Championship
Detroit 10 @ Washington 41

10 years ago
2002

World events
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced broad new restrictions on Muslim extremism, including the banning of five organizations.

Terrorism
A Protestant group called the Red Hand Defenders claimed responsibility for the killing of a Roman Catholic mailman in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and promised to kill Roman Catholic schoolteachers throughout the country.

January 11, 2012

225 years ago
1787

Space
William Herschel, who had discovered Uranus in 1781, discovered Oberon and Titania, two of Uranus's moons.

70 years ago
1942

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Haunted Bagpipes

60 years ago
1952

Died on this date
Manuel Herrick, 75. U.S. politician. Mr. Herrick, a Republican, represented Oklahoma's 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1921-1923). He was perhaps the most eccentric character who ever held such an office, and was nicknamed "Okie Jesus Congressman"; he believed himself to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, and served time in a mental institution after a failed train robbery attempt. Mr. Herrick obtained his party's nomination for Congress in 1920 in a fluke, as incumbent Dick Morgan, who was expected to easily win re-election, died on July 4, 1920, the last day of filing for the nomination. Mr. Herrick was the only other candidate for the Republican Party nomination, and was easily elected in the nationwide landslide in the 1920 Congressional election. He failed to win re-nomination in 1922, and was unsuccessful in several subsequent attempts to win office, most of which came in California, where he moved in 1933. Mr. Herrick disappeared during a blizzard while on his way to check a mining claim eight miles northeast of Quincy, California; he was found dead in a snowbank on February 29, 1952, two miles from his cabin.



50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): The Young Ones--Cliff Richard and the Shadows

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

Disasters
Approximately 4,000 people were killed when an avalanche of rocks and ice buried a mountain vilage and several settlements in northwestern Peru.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Down Under--Men at Work (4th week at #1)

Weather
Wales was virtually cut off from the rest of the U.K. by a snowstorm that killed five people. Many towns and villages in western England were isolated by snowdrifts up to 15 feet high. The temperature dropped to -43 F in Sweden, and ice stopped Denmark's domestic ferry service. Broken ice blocked the flow of the River Vistula in Poland, causing flooding of farmland in the area.

Defense
The U.S. administration announced that President Ronald Reagan had decided to permit the government of Taiwan to buy F-5E fighter planes from the United States, but that more advanced aircraft would not be sold to the Taiwanese. Alan Romberg of the U.S. State Department said there was no limit to the number of planes to be sold to the Taiwanese, and indicated that the planes might be improved later with better electronic systems and more advanced weapons.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in France: T'en va pas--Elsa (2nd week at #1)

Football
NFL
NFC Championship
Washington 0 @ New York Giants 17

The Giants blanked the Redskins before 76,633 fans at Giants Stadium to advance to the NFL championship game for the first time since the pre-Super Bowl year of 1963.

AFC Championship
Denver 23 @ Cleveland 20 (OT)

The Browns led the Broncos 20-13 with 5:34 remaining in the 4th quarter, with the Broncos in possession of the ball at their own 2-yard line. Denver quarterback John Elway marched the team 98 yards to the tying touchdown and convert with 37 seconds remaining, and the Broncos won in overtime before 79,915 fans at Cleveland Stadium.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Black or White--Michael Jackson (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Black or White--Michael Jackson (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Qui a le droit...--Patrick Bruel (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Black or White--Michael Jackson (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): Black or White--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)

Politics and government
Algerian President Chadli Benjedid resigned and was replaced by a ruling council dominated by the army.

10 years ago
2002

World events
The first al-Qaeda prisoners arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Space
Astronomers said that if it were possible to view the universe from the outside, it would appear to be pale green.

Business
Ford Motor Company announced its biggest cutbacks in 20 years, including the discontinuation of the Lincoln Continental, Ford Escort, Mercury Cougar, and Mercury Villager.

January 10, 2012

70 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Chattanooga Choo Choo--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (6th week at #1)

40 years ago
1972

Society
U.S. District Judge Robert Merhige ordered the merger of the public schools of Richmond, Virginia--most of whose students were Negroes--with the schools of neighbouring Henrico and Chesterfield counties, 90% of which were entirely composed of white students. The order was an attempt to end a growing pattern of segregated and unequal education. The result would be a new metopolitan school district with an enrollment of 66% white pupils and 33% Negro pupils.

Disasters
A fire that had begun the previous night destroyed the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth. The 28-year-old former Cunard luxury liner was in Hong Kong Harbour, where it had been brought six months earlier to be converted into a floating campus.

30 years ago
1982

Died on this date
Paul Lynde, 55. U.S. comedian and actor. Mr. Lynde was probably best known as the occupant of the centre square on the long-running television game show The Hollywood Squares. He played Uncle Arthur in 11 episodes of the television comedy series Bewitched between 1965 and 1971, and starred in the comedy series The Paul Lynde Show (1972-1973) and The New Temperatures Rising (1973-1974), both of which appeared on ABC. Mr. Lynde's movies included New Faces (1954); Bye Bye Birdie (1963); Beach Blanket Bingo (1965); The Glass Bottom Boat (1966); and The Villain (1979). For more on Mr. Lynde, see this article.

World events
A group of Haitian exiles announced that they had captured the island of Tortuga, just off the main coast of Haiti. It was alleged that this attempt to overthrow the government of President Jean-Claude Duvalier was the work of the National Popular Haitian Party, based in Miami, Florida. Later in the day, the Haitian government claimed that they had landed troops on Tortuga and that the rebels had fled. A report from Miami from an exile stated that the rebels had crossed the channel between Tortuga and Haiti and captured the town of Port-de-Paix.

Weather
Nine new deaths were reported in the midwestern United States from a record cold snap. Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan dropped to -36 F, while the windchill in Fargo, North Dakota reached -98 F.

Terrorism
Police in Guatemala announced that the bodies of 50 people kidnapped from their homes in the town of San Francisco el Tablon 10 days earlier had been found in the western part of the country. In addition to the kidnappings, the attackers had also burned down 20 houses in the town. 10 other people had been kidnapped with the 50, but their whereabouts were unknown.

Football
NFL
AFC Championship
San Diego 7 @ Cincinnati 27

The windchill at Riverfront Stadium approached -30 F before 46,302 fans in one of the coldest games in NFL history as the Bengals defeated the Chargers to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in their 14-year existence.

NFC Championship
Dallas 27 @ San Francisco 28

Dwight Clark's leaping catch of a Joe Montana pass for a touchdown in the last minute of regulation time and the subsequent convert by Ray Wersching gave the 49ers a dramatic victory over the Cowboys before 60,525 fans at Candlestick Park, sending San Francisco to its first appearance in a league championship game since the 49ers had come into existence in the All-America Football Conference in 1946.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: The Final Countdown--Europe (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Geronimo's Cadillac--Modern Talking (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)--Jackie Wilson

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)--Jackie Wilson

This was a reissue of a single that had been a hit for Mr. Wilson in 1957. It was reissued as a single in the U.K. after a clay animation video of the song was shown on an episode of the BBC Two documentary series Arena. This set a record for the longest time between a single's debut on the chart and the time that it reached #1: 29 years, 1 month, 11 days.

#1 single in Canada (RPM): The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung (3rd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Return of Sherlock Holmes, starring Michael Pennington and Margaret Colin, on CBS

This made-for-television movie was apparently intended to be a pilot for a series, but no series resulted.



Died on this date
Marion Hutton, 67. Miss Hutton, born Marion Thornburg and the older sister of actress Betty Hutton, sang with Glenn Miller and his Orchestra from 1938-1942. She and her third husband, arranger Vic Schoen, overcame drinking problems and founded the addiction treatment centre Residence XII in Kirkland, Washington in 1981, with Miss Hutton serving as executive director. She died of cancer.

20 years ago
1992

Economics and finance
The U.S. Labor Department reported that unemployment in December 1991 stood at 7.1%, the highest level in more than five years.

10 years ago
2002

Scandal
Officials of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, auditor of the collapsed energy firm Enron, disclosed that Arthur Andersen employees had destroyed documents relating to Enron, even after such documents had been subpoenaed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

January 9, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Olga!

220 years ago
1792

War
The Treaty of Jassy between Russian and the Ottoman Empire was signed in Moldavia, ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–92 and confirming Russia's increasing dominance in the Black Sea.

70 years ago
1942

At the movies
Today I Hang, written and directed by Oliver Drake, and starring Walter Woolf King, Mona Barrie, and William Farnum, opened in theatres.



Boxing
Joe Louis (52-1) knocked down Buddy Baer (51-7) 3 times and out at 2:56 of the 1st round at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain his world heavyweight title. It was the second unsuccessful challenge for Mr. Baer in the previous eight months, and was his last professional fight.



50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Bad Actor, starring Robert Duvall, Carole Eastman, and Charles Robinson

40 years ago
1972

Basketball
NBA
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 120-104, ending the Lakers' record 33-game winning streak.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Don't You Want Me--The Human League (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Physical--Olivia Newton-John (8th week at #1)

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

25 years ago
1987

War
Iran launched a large assault on Iraqi positions near the city of Basra. Most fighting occurred east of Basra in the Fish Lake region, with Iranian artillery pounding the city. Iraq bombed a number of Iranian cities, including Tehran and Qom, while Iran fired long-range missiles into Baghdad. Iranian ground forces reportedly made some headway, but at a cost of a reported 50,000 casualties, while Iraqi casualties were reported as high as 20,000.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate for December 1986 was 6.6%, down 0.2% from November, and at the lowest level since March 1980.

The U.S. Labor Department also announced that, for all of 1986, prices paid by producers for finished goods had declined 2.5%, the sharpest drop since 1949, and the first decline since 1963.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives--Queen (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Bill Naughton, 81. U.K. playwright and author. Mr. Naughton, a native of Ireland, was best known for his play (1963) and novel (1966) Alfie, which was made into a movie in 1966.

Steve Brodie, 72. U.S. actor. Mr. Brodie, born John Stevenson, usually played tough guys in films such as Out of the Past (1947); Crossfire (1947); and Desperate (1947). He died of cancer.

Europeana
The Assembly of the Serb People in Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaimed the creation of Republika Srpska, a new state within Yugoslavia.

Scandal
Alison Halford, the United Kingdom's most senior policewoman, was suspended from duty for a second time following a police authority meeting. She had accused higher authorities of sex discrimination in her efforts to gain further promotion.

Economics and finance
The United States government reported that the economy had contracted in 1991 for the first time in nine years. The U.S. Labor Department reported that the producer price index for finished goods had declined 0.1% in 1991, the first decline in wholesale prices in five years.