January 26, 2012

80 years ago
1932

Died on this date
William Wrigley, Jr., 70 U.S. businessman. Mr. Wrigley founded the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in Chicago in 1891 as a soap company, but switched to baking powder and evetually to chewing gum when those products proved more popular. He made a fortune, and played a major role in the development and preservation of Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Long Beach, Califonria. Mr. Wrigley became a minority owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team in 1916, and became minority owner by 1921. Their home park was renamed Wrigley Field in 1927, two years after the opening of Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League.

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, Juke Box--1st week at #1)

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

Singles entering the chart were Bermuda by the Bell Sisters (#20); Tiger Rag by Les Paul and Mary Ford (#23); Mother at Your Feet is Kneeling by Bobby Wayne (#26); and Crazy Heart by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (#35).

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Hunt, starring Arthur Hunnicutt and Jeanette Nolan

Music
The extended play single Mister Twist by Tony Sheridan was officially handed over to the Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France). The record, released as an EP only in France, consisted of the songs When the Saints; Cry for a Shadow; My Bonnie; and Why. Cry for a Shadow, written by George Harrison and John Lennon, was an instrumental performed by the Beatles, who accompanied Mr. Sheridan on the other tracks.

Space
The U.S.A. launched the satellite Ranger III, whose mission included transmitting photographs of the lunar surface for 10 minutes prior to crashing on the moon. Unfortunately, Ranger III missed the moon by 22,000 miles, and went into a heliocentric orbit, where it remains.





Boxing
Leotis Martin (1-0) made his professional debut, winning a 4-round split decision over Bobby Warthen (3-1) in a heavyweight bout at Kenwick Terrace in Sarnia, Ontario.

40 years ago
1972

On television tonight
Rod Serling's Night Gallery, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Waiting Room, starring Steve Forrest, Albert Salmi, Lex Barker, Jim Davis, and Buddy Ebsen; Last Rites for a Dead Druid, starring Bill Bixby, Carol Lynley, Donna Douglas, and Ned Glass

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden: Cambodia--Kim Wilde

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Funkytown--Pseudo Echo (6th week at #1)

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Goodnight Girl--Wet Wet Wet (2nd week at #1)

Football
NFL
Super Bowl XXVI @ Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis
Washington Redskins 37 Buffalo Bills 24

Quarterback Mark Rypien completed touchdown passes to Earnest Byner and Gary Clark, and handed off to Gerald Riggs for two short touchdown runs to help the Redskins defeat the Bills before 63,130 fans (see video). Chip Lohmiller added 4 converts and 3 field goals to complete the scoring for the Redskins, who led 24-0 in te 3rd quarter and 37-10 before Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly completed touchdown passes to Pete Metzelaars and Don Beebe in the 4th quarter. Thurman Thomas scored the Bills' first touchdown on a 1-yard rush in the 3rd quarter.