January 3, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Bobby Hull!

220 years ago
1793

Born on this date
Lucretia Mott. U.S. social reformer. Mrs. Mott participated in the typical reform movements of the 19th century, including abolition, temperance, and women's suffrage. She died on November 11, 1880 at the age of 87.

190 years ago
1823

Americana
Stephen F. Austin received a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico.

130 years ago
1883

Born on this date
Clement Attlee. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1945-1951. Mr. Attlee led the Labour Party to victory over Prime Minister Winston Churchill's governing Conservative party in 1945, and won re-election in 1950 before losing the 1951 election.

125 years ago
1888

Space
The 36-inch refracting telescope at the Lick Observatory in California was used for the first time. It was then the world's largest telescope.

120 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Rudy Widoeft. U.S. musician. Mr. Widoeft was a jazz saxophonist who was popular in the 1910s and '20s, and made over 300 recordings. His ragtime-influenced style waned in popularity in the 1930s, and he almost completely stopped performing in the mid-1930s. Mr. Widoeft was a heavy drinker, and died from cirrhosis of the liver on February 18, 1940 at the age of 47.

Politics and government
Matthew McCauley was acclaimed as Mayor of Edmonton in the city's civic election, while six aldermen were elected to one-year terms.

90 years ago
1923

Born on this date
Hank Stram. U.S. football coach. Mr. Stram was head coach of the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs from 1960-1974 and the New Orleans Saints from 1976-1977, compiling a record of 136-100. He led the Texans to the American Football League championship in 1962, their last year in Dallas. The team moved to Kansas City, winning AFL titles in 1966 and 1969. The Chiefs lost to the Green Bay Packers in the first Super Bowl in 1967 and defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl in 1970. Mr. Stram was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He died on July 4, 2005 at the age of 82.

80 years ago
1933

Died on this date
Wilhelm Cuno, 56. Chancellor of Germany, 1922-1923. Mr. Cuno was Chancellor for 264 days, during which his government allowed France to occupy the Ruhr area.

Jack Pickford, 36. Canadian-born U.S. movie producer and actor. Mary Pickford's younger brother, born John Charles Smith in Toronto, used his family's influence to become an adolescent actor, and later, producer. He joined the U.S. Navy in World War I, but was accused of accepting bribes from wealthy recruits to help keep them out of combat. He was reportedly given a general, instead of dishonourable, discharge, because of his family's influence. Mr. Pickford's first wife, Hollywood star and former Ziegfeld girl Olive Thomas, died in 1920 from swallowing a whole bottle of mercury biochloride (then commonly used as a treatment for syphilis)while the couple was visiting Paris. It was never clearly established whether her death was an accident or a suicide. Mr. Pickford's two subsequent marriages were unsuccessful, and bouts of syphilis, drug use, and drinking ultimately led to his death.

75 years ago
1938

Americana
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the March of Dimes.

70 years ago
1943

Died on this date
Walter James, 79. Australian politician. Sir Walter was Premier of Western Australia from 1902-1904.

60 years ago
1953

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart--Vera Lynn; Eddy Howard (7th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus--Jimmy Boyd (Best seller--2nd week at #1); Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James (Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1, Jukebox--2nd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus--Jimmy Boyd
--Spike Jones and his City Slickers
2 Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James
--Patti Page
3 The Glow-Worm--The Mills Brothers
4 Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes--Perry Como
5 I Went to Your Wedding--Patti Page
6 It's in the Book (Parts 1 and 2)--Johnny Standley
7 Because You're Mine--Mario Lanza
8 Takes Two to Tango--Pearl Bailey
9 Keep it a Secret--Jo Stafford
10 Till I Waltz Again with You--Teresa Brewer

Singles entering the chart were Bye Bye Blues by Les Paul and Mary Ford (#14) and No Moon at All by the Ames Brothers and Les Brown and his Band of Renown (#26).

On the radio
Sherlock Holmes, starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley, on BBC Home Service

This was an adaptation of the play Sherlock Holmes by William Gillette.

Politics and government
Frances Bolton and her son Oliver, both Republicans, became the first mother and son combination to sit in the United States House of Representatives.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): The Next Time/Bachelor Boy--Cliff Richard and the Shadows

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: In His Image, starring George Grizzard and Gail Kobe

This was the first episode of the season, and the first of 18 episodes made to fit into a one-hour time slot.

40 years ago
1973

Baseball
Cleveland shipping magnate George Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees from the Columbia Broadcasting System, promising to be a hands-off owner. Mr. Steinbrenner paid $10 million for the franchise, $3.2 million less than CBS had paid for the team in 1964, making CBS the only owner to lose money on the sale of a major league baseball team.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club (2nd week at #1)

Football
NFL
Dallas (6-3) 27 @ Minnesota (5-4) 31

Tony Dorsett of the Cowboys set a league record with a 99-yard touchdown rush before 60,007 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

25 years ago
1988

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card playoff
Minnesota 44 @ New Orleans 10

AFC Wild Card playoff
Seattle 20 @ Houston 23 (OT)

Anthony Carter returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown and caught a 10-yard pass from halfback Allen Rice for another as the Vikings routed the Saints before 68,546 fans at the Louisiana Superdome in the Saints' first playoff game in their 21-year history. New Orleans opened the scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Hebert to Eric Martin.

Tony Zendejas kicked a 42-yard field goal 8:05 into overtime to give the Oilers their win over the Seahawks before 50,519 fans at the Astrodome.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (6th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty--Start II--in Moscow, agreeing to reduce their nations' nuclear warheads by 3,000-3,500.

Football
NFL
AFC Wild Card playoff
Houston 38 @ Buffalo 41 (OT)

NFC Wild Card playoff
Philadelphia 36 @ New Orleans 20

Trailing 35-3 early in the 3rd quarter, Buffalo scored 5 straight converted touchdowns to tie the game before Steve Christie kicked a 32-yard field goal in overtime to finish the greatest comeback in NFL history as the Bills edged the Oilers before 75,141 fans at Rich Stadium. Buffalo quarterback Frank Reich completed 21 of 34 passes for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns, while Houston quarterback Warren Moon completed 36 of 50 passes for 371 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The Eagles trailed the Saints 20-10 after 3 quarters before 68,591 fans at the Louisiana Superdome, but rallied for 26 unanswered points in the 4th quarter.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Sid Gillman, 91. U.S. football coach. Mr. Gillman compiled a won-lost record of 81-19-2 as head coach at Miami University (1944-1947) and the University of Cincinnati (1949-1954). He was head coach of the Los Angeles Rams (1955-1959); Los Angeles and San Diego Chargers (1960-1969, 1971); and Houston Oilers (1973-1974), compiling a record of 123-104-7. He led the Chargers to the American Football League championship in 1963. Mr. Gillman was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989, becoming the only coach to be in both halls.

Football
NCAA
Fiesta Bowl @ Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
Ohio State 31 Miami (Florida) 24 (2 OT)

Maurice Clarett rushed 5 yards for a touchdown in the 2nd overtime possession to put the Buckeyes ahead, and the Ohio State defense stopped the Hurricanes on four plays from inside the Buckeyes' 2-yard line as Ohio State ended the University of Miami's 34-game winning streak and won its first national championship in 34 years. Miami kicker Todd Sievers had sent the game into overtime with a 40-yard field goal on the last play of regulation time to tie the score 17-17.