January 8, 2013

300 years ago
1713

Died on this date
Arcangelo Corelli, 59. Italian musician and composer. Mr. Corelli was a leading violinist and composer of the Baroque era.

150 years ago
1863

War
In the U.S. Civil War, Union forces commanded by Brigadier General Egbert Brown defeated Confederate forces commanded by Brigadier General John Marmaduke in the Second Battle of Springfield in Springfield, Missouri.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Matt Moore. U.K.-born U.S. actor. Mr. Moore and his brothers Tom, Owen, and Joe, and sister Mary, natives of Ireland, emigrated to the United States in 1896, and all went on to successful careers in movies. Matt appeared in at least 221 films, including The Unholy Three (1925) and Coquette (1929). He died on January 21, 1960, 13 days after his 72nd birthday.

90 years ago
1923

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Larry Storch!. The U.S. comic actor, best known for his work on television, was born in New York City.

60 years ago
1953

Died on this date
Hugh Binney, 69. U.K. naval officer. Sir Hugh served in both world wars, rising to the rank of admiral in the Royal Navy. He served as Governor of Tasmania from 1945-1951.

50 years ago
1963

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

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Ben--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Le lac majeur--Mort Shuman (2nd week at #1)

Music
The Beach Boys album Holland was released on Brother/Reprise Records. The album was to have been released several months earlier, but was rejected by Reprise Records because it was felt to be lacking a song that would become a hit single. Sail On, Sailor, which had been recorded in Los Angeles instead of Holland, was added to the album, and We Got Love was deleted. Due to an error in following instructions, early German pressings of the album contained the original lineup of songs, while early French and Canadian pressings had We Got Love mentioned on the back cover instead of Sail On, Sailor (I have a copy of the Canadian pressing). Holland was the last studio-recorded album to feature Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar as members of the Beach Boys.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the lunar probe Luna 21, whose mission included the deployment of the rover Lunokhod 2.

Scandal
The trial of the five Watergate burglars--the men who had broken into the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972--began in Washington. Judge John Sirica presided over the trial of James McCord, Frank Sturgis, Bernard Barker, Virgilio Gonzalez, and Eugenio Martinez.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Hou! La menteuse--Dorothée (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Save Your Love--Renée and Renato (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Save Your Love--Renée and Renato (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Mickey--Toni Basil (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Gale Page, 72. U.S. actress. Miss Page, born Sally Perkins Rutter, acted and sang in several radio programs, and appeared in 16 movies, including Four Daughters (1938) and its sequels, Four Wives (1939); and Four Mothers (1941). She died of lung cancer.

Tom McCall, 69. U.S. broadcaster and politician. Mr. McCall was a television news broadcaster for many years before serving as Governor of Oregon from 1967-1975.

Football
NFL
Playoffs
First Round
NFC
(8) Detroit 7 @ (1) Washington 31
(6) St. Louis 16 @ (3) Green Bay 41

AFC
(7) New England 13 @ (2) Miami 28
(8) Cleveland 10 @ (1) Los Angeles Raiders 27

Because the players' strike had shortened the regular season to 9 games, the league used a 16-team playoff format, with seedings in each conference determined by the teams' regular season record.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Always On My Mind--Pet Shop Boys

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): More and More--Captain Hollywood Project (4th week at #1)

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Ron Goodwin, 77. U.K. composer. Mr. Goodwin wrote scores for such movies as Operation Crossbow (1965); Battle of Britain (1969); and Frenzy (1972).

Disasters
70 of 75 passengers and all crew members aboard Turkish Airlines Flight 634 were killed when their plane crashed near Diyarbakır Airport in Turkey.