December 19, 2012

280 years ago
1732

Literature
Poor Richard's Almanack by Benjamin Franklin was first published in Philadelphia.

160 years ago
1852

Born on this date
Albert Michelson. German-born U.S. physicist. Dr. Michelson moved to the United States with his parents at the age of 2. He taught at the U.S. Naval Academy before teaching at Clark University and then at the University of Chicago. Dr. Michelson was known for his work on measuring the speed of light and especially for the Michelson–Morley experiment with Edward Morley (1887). Dr. Michelson became the first American to win a Nobel Prize in a science when he was awarded the 1907 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his optical precision instruments and the spectroscopic and metrological investigations carried out with their aid." He died on May 9, 1931 at the age of 78.

80 years ago
1932

Died on this date
Yoon Bong-Gil, 24. Korean terrorist. Mr. Yoon, an activist on behalf of Korean independence from Japan, was executed in Kanazawa, Japan for carrying out a bombing attack in Shanghai on April 29, 1932 that had killed Japanese General Yoshinori Shirakawa and Japanese government bureaucrat Kawabata Sadaji, while injuring several others.

Radio
The British Broadcasting Corporation Empire Service began broadcasting by shortwave. It became known as the BBC Overseas Service in November 1939 and BBC World Service in May 1965.

70 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): White Christmas--Bing Crosby (8th week at #1)

60 years ago
1952

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Here in My Heart--Al Martino (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Machine, starring Georgann Johnson and Gene Lockhart

50 years ago
1962

Space
The United States launched the satellite Transit 5A, whose mission was navigation.

Academia
The University of Windsor was incorporated by the Ontario Legislature, accepting Assumption University in Federation. Assumption College opened in 1857 and changed its name to Assumption University in 1956.

40 years ago
1972

Space
More than 12 days after liftoff from Cape Kennedy, Florida, the Apollo 17 crew of Gene Cernan, Ron Evans, and Jack Schmitt splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:25 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, 4 miles from the recovery ship USS Ticonderoga, ending the series of manned lunar missions.

World events
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin gave British workers in his country the option of accepting a 40% pay cut or being expelled from Uganda in 12 days.

30 years ago
1982

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, starring Graham Armitage and Kerry Jordan, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: A Matter of Conscience

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: La Bamba--Los Lobos (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Faith--George Michael (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Faith--George Michael (2nd week at #1)
2 Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle
3 Is This Love--Whitesnake
4 Should've Known Better--Richard Marx
5 Shake Your Love--Debbie Gibson
6 So Emotional--Whitney Houston
7 Don't You Want Me--Jody Watley
8 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
9 We'll Be Together--Sting
10 Catch Me (I'm Falling)--Pretty Poison

Singles entering the chart were Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley (#80); She's Like the Wind by Patrick Swayze (featuring Wendy Fraser) (#83); I Need a Man by Eurythmics (#84); Dear Mr. Jesus by PowerSource (#85); Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter and Banchees of Blue (#86); 853-5937 by Squeeze (#88); Lover's Lane by Giorgio (#89); and Never Thought (That I Could Love) by Dan Hill (#90).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 Faith--George Michael
2 (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
3 Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle
4 I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany
5 Pop Goes the World--Men Without Hats
6 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
7 Mony Mony (Live)--Billy Idol
8 Try--Blue Rodeo
9 We'll Be Together--Sting
10 So Emotional--Whitney Houston

Singles entering the chart were Seasons Change by Expose (#87); Pump Up the Volume by M/A/R/R/S (#89); Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen (#90); Connect Me by Platinum Blonde (#92); Hot in the City by Billy Idol (#94); Crying by Roy Orbison and k.d. lang (#95); and Showdown at Big Sky by Robbie Robertson (#96).

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston

#1 single in Italy: Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Highland--One More Time

#1 single in France: Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (3rd week at #1)
2 If I Ever Fall in Love--Shai
3 Rump Shaker--Wreckx-N-Effect
4 The (Elvis) Letter--Wayne Newton
5 In the Still of the Nite--Boyz II Men
6 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
7 I'd Die Without You--PM Dawn
8 Good Enough--Bobby Brown
9 Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap!
10 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton

Singles entering the chart included Heal the World by Michael Jackson (#78); Homies by Lighter Shade of Brown (#81); Stand Up by Def Leppard (#85); and The Right Kind of Love by Jeremy Jordan (#90).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston
2 Song Instead of a Kiss--Alannah Myles
3 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton
4 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
5 Keep the Faith--Bon Jovi
6 Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses--U2
7 Drive--R.E.M.
8 Layla--Eric Clapton
9 Do You Believe in Us--Jon Secada
10 Love Can Move Mountains--Celine Dion

Singles entering the chart included If I Had $1,000,000 by Barenaked Ladies (#73); A Whole New World by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle (#77); Bigger Man by Tom Cochrane (#79); Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya by Bryan Adams (#84); Walk on the Ocean by Toad the Wet Sprocket (#90); and Child of the City by Triumph (#93). If I Had $1,000,000 was the B-side of the recent hit Enid. A Whole New World was from the movie Aladdin.

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Grant McLean, 81. Canadian film producer, director, and cinematographer. Mr. McLean was with the National Film Board of Canada from 1941-1967, where he spent 10 years as director of production and 15 years as acting commissioner. He was a pioneer of cinema verite, and made films about groundbreaking subjects such as Inuit society, the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, and racial prejudice. His films included Target Berlin (1944); The People Between (1947); Farewell Oak Street (1953); and In the Labyrinth (1967—created for the Expo 67 world’s fair in Montreal).