December 13, 2013

370 years ago
1643

War
Roundhead forces serving under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of Royalist infantry and cavalry in the Battle of Alton in Hampshire.

230 years ago
1783

Canadiana
Rough census shows 30,000 United Empire Loyalists now living in Nova Scotia. Shelburne, Nova Scotia was the fourth-largest community in North America.

130 years ago
1883

Canadiana
The border between Ontario and Manitoba was fixed.

120 years ago
1893

Society
Prince Edward Island voted for prohibition of alcoholic beverages.

75 years ago
1938

Abominations
The Neuengamme concentration camp opened in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany.

70 years ago
1943

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Jumping Jack

Died on this date
Marvin H. McIntyre, 65. U.S. journalist and presidential secretary. Mr. McIntyre was an editor with both The Washington Post and Washington Times. He became a friend of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the late 1910s-early '20s, and served as his Appointments Secretary from 1933-1938, and as his Correspondence Secretary from 1941 until his death.

War
Dispatches from Zurich claimed that Germany was experimenting with a 12-ton, 45-foot-long rocket shell, with a 160-mile range and a destructive force of over 20 square miles. Allied planes hit the oil depot at Split and the railway yards at Sebenico, Yugoslavia. Japanese troops north of Changteh were routed and were reportedly fleeing to the northeast.

Abominations
The 117th Jäger Division of the German Wehrmacht massacred 700-1,200 civilians in Kalavryta, Greece, including almost all of the town's male population.

Labour
16 southern U.S. railroads and terminal companies notified the Fair Employment Practices Commission that they would not obey its order to abandon agreements with railroad unions which limited employment of Negroes.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): You'll Never Walk Alone--Gerry and the Pacemakers (6th week at #1)

London's Top 10 (CFPL)
1 She Loves You--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)
2 Dominique--The Singing Nun
3 Be True to Your School--The Beach Boys
4 It's All in the Game--Cliff Richard
5 Drip Drop--Dion Di Muci
6 Forget Him--Bobby Rydell
7 Kickin' My Hound Around--The Lowlanders
8 There! I've Said it Again--Bobby Vinton
9 Popsicles and Icicles--The Murmaids
10 Louie Louie--The Kingsmen

Singles entering the chart were Surfin' Bird by the Trashmen (#29); Nitty Gritty by Shirley Ellis (#31); Pretty Paper by Roy Orbison (#33); That Boy John by the Raindrops (#36); Please by Frank Ifield (#38); and Drag City by Jan & Dean (#39).

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Move Over--Bobby Curtola
2 Johnny Liar--Molly Bee
3 Pretty Paper--Roy Orbison
4 It's All in the Game--Cliff Richard
5 I'm Leaving it Up to You--Dale & Grace
6 Dominique--The Singing Nun
7 Shindig--The Shadows
8 There! I've Said it Again--Bobby Vinton
9 Be True to Your School--The Beach Boys
10 Forget Him--Bobby Rydell
Pick hit of the week: I Want to Stand Up on the Mountain--Loreen Church
New this week: Walkin' in Bonnie's Footsteps--Pat Hervey
A'Soalin'--Peter, Paul and Mary
The Chase--The Ventures
O Holy Night--Bobby Vinton
Roll Over Beethoven--The Beatles
Holiday Hootenanny--Paul and Paula

On television tonight
Twilight Zone, hosted by Rod Serling, on CBS
Tonight's episode: A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain, starring Patrick O'Neal, Ruta Lee, and Walter Brooke

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Good-Bye, George, starring Robert Culp, Patricia Barry, Stubby Kaye, and Elliott Reid

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the satellite Cosmos 23.

Terrorism
Federation de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) member Mario Bachand was sentenced to four years in prison for his part in May 17 bomb explosions in Montreal, one of which had maimed demolition expert Sergeant Major Walter Leja, who lost his left arm and was partially paralyzed.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Helicopter Song--Wolfe Tones (4th week at #1)

Energy
British Prime Minister Edward Heath imposed a three-day week, effective January 1, 1974, on the greater part of British industry, as energy shortages caused by slowdowns by coal, railway, and electrical workers continued to plague the British economy.

Labour
Six days after a four-day blockade of highways in several American states by independent truckers had taken place, a two-day strike by independent truckers began, led by Michael Parkhurst, a former driver and editor of the anti-Teamsters publication Overdrive Magazine.

30 years ago
1983

Space
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration revealed that a small fire and explosion had occurred in a rear compartment of the space shuttle Columbia as it landed on December 8 at Edwards Air Force Base, California to conclude a 10-day mission. The mishap, not discovered at the time of the landing, was attributed to contact between leaking fuel and the hot surface of a power unit. NASA said that the six crew members had not been in danger.

World events
Three days after being inaugurated as Argentina's first civilian president after more than seven years of military rule, Raul Alfonsin issued a decree ordering the three juntas that had ruled from 1976-1982 be court-martialled on charges of murder and torture. A similar decree ordered a trial for seven leftist terrorist leaders for murder and disturbing public order in the 1970s.

War
Major General Jack Farris, commander of the last U.S. troops to leave the Caribbean island of Grenada, said that final figures for U.S. casualties in the invasion that had taken place in the last week of October were 18 killed; 115 wounded in action; and 36 non-battle injuries. Other revised casualty totals included 45 Grenadians and 24 Cubans killed. Gen. Farris said that U.S. troop strength had peaked at 7,355 on October 31. The last 190 U.S. combat troops were to leave the island on December 15.

Basketball
NBA
Detroit 184 @ Denver 186 (3 OT)

The Nuggets edged the Pistons at McNichols Sports Arena in the highest-scoring game in league history. Kiki Vandeweghe scored 51 points for the Nuggets, with teammate Alex English scoring 47. Isiah Thomas scored 47 points for the Pistons.

Hockey
NHL
Edmonton Oilers' centre Wayne Gretzky scored his 300th career NHL goal.

25 years ago
1988

Diplomacy
Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat addressed the United Nations General Assembly in Geneva, where it had reconvened after the United States refused to grant Mr. Arafat a visa to visit New York. He supported an international conference in which "the state of Palestine, Israel, and other neighbours" would work out a comprehensive peace settlement. Mr. Arafat also condemned terrorism "in all its forms." Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir responded by rejecting any thought of talking with the PLO.

Politics and government
The President's Commission on Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries proposed that salaries of U.S. government leaders be increased by at least 50%. Members of Congress would go from $89,500 to $135,000 and the president from $200,000 to $350,000. Judges and cabinet officers would be among others getting similar increases, which would take effect within a month after the president approved the recommendation, unless rejected by both houses of Congress.

Hockey
NHL
Ron Lapointe was fired as head coach of the Quebec Nordiques after the team started the 1988-89 season with a record of 11-20-2. He had posted a record of 22-30-4 in the final 56 games of the 1987-88 season as the team's interim head coach.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Larry Cameron, 41. U.S.-born football player and wrestler. Mr. Cameron was a linebacker with the British Columbia Lions (1975) and Ottawa Rough Riders (1976-1977) of the Canadian Football League. In his rookie season he was the runner-up for the Schenley Award as the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie, and was named to the All-Western and All-Canadian all-star teams, but was traded to the Ottawa Rough Riders in the off-season. In 1976, Mr. Cameron was named to the All-Eastern all-star team, and helped the Rough Riders win the Grey Cup championship. His play fell off in 1977, and he was cut from the squad after 10 games. Mr. Cameron played for the Montreal Alouettes during the pre-season of 1978, but he was released before the start of the regular season, ending his CFL career. In later years he achieved success as a professional wrestler, billed as "Lethal" Larry Cameron. Mr. Cameron wrestled in western Canada in the mid-late 1980s, regularly appearing on the widely-televised program Stampede Wrestling and winning the North American heavyweight title. He was wrestling in Bremen, Germany when he suffered a fatal heart attack in the ring during a match.

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis and its seven-member crew landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California to conclude an 11-day mission.

Abominations
Wayne County,Michigan Circuit Court Judge Richard Kaufman ruled that gravely ill people with little prospect for recovery and a poor quality of life had a "constitutionally protected right" to take their own lives. He found sections of Michigan's law forbidding assisted suicides to violate the Michigan state constitution. The ruling was a boon for Michigan mad scientist "Dr." Jack Kevorkian, who was facing charges for assisting in a suicide three months earlier.

Politics and government
Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell, whose governing Progressive Conservative party had been reduced from 156 seats to 2 in the October 25 Canadian federal election, announced her resignation as party leader. Jean Charest, one of the two PC candidates to win a seat, took over as interim leader. Ms. Campbell had lost her own seat in the election.

Canadiana
Yellow birch was chosen as the provincial tree of Quebec.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
William Roth, 82. U.S. politician. Mr. Roth, a Republican, represented Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives (1967-1970) and in the U.S. Senate (1971-2001). He chaired the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee (1981-1987, 1995) and Finance Committee (1995-2001), and sponsored legislation that created the Roth IRA, an individual retirement plan that can be set up with a broker. Sen. Roth was defeated in the 2000 election, with age and declining health cited as reasons for his loss. He died of heart failure.

War
Ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole under a farmhouse in Adwar, near his hometown of Tikrit. He was found in an 8-foot deep pit and surrendered without a fight.