December 14, 2012

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Eileen and Leo Sasakamoose!

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Wendy Welt!

725 years ago
1287

Disasters
50,000-80,000 people in the Netherlands and northern Germany were killed when the Zuiderzee sea wall collapsed, causing what became known as St. Lucia's flood.

470 years ago
1542

Died on this date
James V, 30. King of Scots, 1513-1542. King James V died of a brief illness, just six days after the birth of his only surviving legitimate child, Princess Mary Stuart. She immediately succeeded him on the throne as Mary, Queen of Scots.

230 years ago
1782

Transportation
Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier gave their first hot air ballon its first test flight near Avignon, France. The lifting force was so great that they lost control of the balloon, and it floated nearly 2 kilometres before landing and subsequently being destroyed by passersby.

200 years ago
1812

War
The French invasion of Russia ended when remnants of the Grand Armée were expelled from Russia.

In the War of 1812, Britain's Royal Navy seized control of Lake Borgne, Louisiana.

110 years ago
1902

Communications
The Commercial Pacific Cable Company laid the first Pacific telegraph cable, from Ocean Beach, San Francisco to Honolulu.

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Sign of the Four, Part 6

50 years ago
1962

Television
Filming concluded on Please Stand By, the pilot for the science fiction series The Outer Limits. Some changes were made in editing, and the program aired on ABC as the series' first episode on September 16, 1963 under the title The Galaxy Being.

Space
The U.S. probe Mariner 2 became the first probe to fly by Venus, coming within 22,000 miles of the planet's surface.

40 years ago
1972

Space
Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt concluded man's last moonwalk at about 12:41 Eastern Standard Time (10:41 P.M. December 13, Mountain Standard Time) and re-entered the lunar module Challenger. They then blasted off from the surface of the moon to rejoin Command Module Pilot Ron Evans in the command module America. Mr. Cernan was, as the title of his 1999 autobiography stated, The Last Man on the Moon, saying, just before he re-entered Challenger: "...as I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come - but we believe not too long into the future - I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus- Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. "Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden: Puttin' on the Ritz--Taco (8th week at #1)

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Never Gonna Give You Up--Rick Astley (3rd week at #1)

Football
NFL
Chicago (10-3) 0 @ San Francisco (11-2) 41

Jerry Rice caught 3 touchdown passes from Steve Young to tie two NFL records as the 49ers routed the Bears before 63,509 fans at Candlestick Park. Mr. Rice, with his first TD, tied the record of 11 consecutive games scoring a touchdown. His third TD tied was his 18th of the season, tied the single season record for touchdown receptions in a season, set by Mark Clayton of the Miami Dolphins in 1984. Amazingly, Mr. Rice tied the record despite missing 3 games because of the NFL players' strike earlier in the season.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Simo Goes Poing!--KCD (4th week at #1)

War
A helicopter carrying refugees from Tkvarcheli, Abkhazia, Georgia was shot down, resulting in at least 52 deaths, including 25 children. The incident resulted in more concerted Russian military involvement on behalf of Abkhazia.

Politics and government
Ralph Klein officially took office as Premier of Alberta, replacing the retiring Don Getty.