December 2, 2013

250 years ago
1763

Religion
Members of the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island witnessed the dedication of the Touro Synagogue, the first synagogue in what became the United States.

190 years ago
1823

Diplomacy
U.S. President James Monroe outlined the Monroe Doctrine, which opposed the expansion of European colonization in the Western Hemisphere, while not interfering with existing European colonies. Key passages included:

The occasion has been judged proper for asserting, as a principle in which the rights and interests of the United States are involved, that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers...We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
M.J. Coldwell. Canadian politician. Mr. Coldwell, a native of Seaton, England, immigrated to Canada in 1910. He sat in the House of Commons from 1935-1958 and led the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) from 1942-1960. Mr. Coldwell died on August 25, 1874 at the age of 85.

120 years ago
1893

Football
U.S. college
Army 4 @ Navy 6

The fourth annual Army-Navy game was played at Worden Field in Annapolis, Maryland, and was the last meeting between the two until 1899.

80 years ago
1933

Politics and government
A disastrous financial situation forced Newfoundland to give up self-governing dominion status and suspend its constitution.

Football
CRU
Grey Cup Semi-Final
Winnipeg 0 @ Toronto Argonauts 13

Andy Mullen returned a Greg Kabat punt 40 yards for a touchdown and Ted Morris intercepted 2 laterals and made long returns to get the Argonauts out of trouble as they blanked the Winnipeg Rugby Football Club before 8,359 fans at Varsity Stadium and advanced to the Grey Cup against the Sarnia Imperials, champions of the Ontario Rugby Football Union. Winnipeg quarterback Russ Rebholz was handicapped by a broken thumb, but was able to march his team inside the Toronto 10-yard line three times, but one long lateral resulted in a lost fumble, and Mr. Morris intercepted the others. Mr. Morris returned one of them 80 yards to the Winnipeg 7-yard line, where the Winnipeg defense stiffened and held the Argonauts to a single. Mr. Morris returned his other intercepted lateral 90 yards, dribbling the ball to the Winnipeg goal line, but he overran the ball in the end zone, and a Winnipeg player recovered for a rouge.

70 years ago
1943

Theatre
The musical Carmen Jones, with music by Georges Bizet and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a large all-Negro cast, opened at the Broadway Theatre in New York.

Died on this date
Nordahl Grieg, 41. Norwegian writer. Mr. Grieg was a Communist poet, author, and journalist who consistently supported U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin until the 1939 Molotov-Rippentrop non-aggression pact between the U.S.S.R. and Germany. He escaped to the United Kingdom in 1940, serving the Norwegian government-in exile. Mr. Grieg was a journalist attached to 460 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, and was killed as a passenger aboard one of five aircraft shot down during a bombing raid on Berlin.

Married on this date
U.S. actors Rudy Vallee and Jane Greer were married in Hollywood.

War
The U.S. Army and Navy reported 126,969 U.S. casualties up to November 15, 1943, including 27,481 killed in action. The German Luftwaffe conducted a surprise air raid on Allied ships in Bari, Italy, sinking 28 cargo and transport ships, including the American SS John Harvey, which was carrying a stockpile of World War I-era mustard gas; 37 U.S. naval personnel were killed. U.K. forces in Italy breached German positions on the west side of the Sangro River at the Adriatic end of the line, putting the Germans in full retreat. The Soviet Red Army took 80 towns and villages in its drive northwest of Gomel toward Zhlobin.

Defense
The U.S. Navy announced acceptance for the Naval Air Transport Service of the world's largest flying boat, the 70-ton Martin Mars.

Politics and government
U.S. Representative Everett Dirksen (Republican--Illinois) announced his candidacy for the Republican Party U.S. presidential nomination in 1944.

Academia
Argentine Public Instruction Minister Gustavo Martinez Zuviria announced that university professors and students participating in Communist propaganda would be dismissed and subject to other sanctions.

50 years ago
1963

On television tonight
The Outer Limits, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Nightmare, starring Ed Nelson, James Shigeta, John Anderson, Martin Sheen, Ben Wright, and Whit Bissell

Died on this date
Sabu, 39. Indian-born actor. Sabu moved to England and then to the United States, starring in movies such as Elephant Boy (1937); Drums (1938); The Thief of Bagdad (1940); and Jungle Book (1942). He became an American citizen and joined the U.S. Army Air Forces, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in World War II. Sabu died of a heart attack just two days after reportedly receiving a clean bill of health from his doctor. His last movie, A Tiger Walks, was released in March 1964.

Music
The Beach Boys' first Christmas single, Little Saint Nick/The Lord's Prayer, was released by Capitol Records.

Communications
Queen Elizabeth II spoke by telephone from London to the Prime Ministers of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to inaugurate he new 24,140-kilometre Commonwealth Pacific Cable System (COMPAC), a multi-channel multipurpose cable. The event was broadcast live in Canada on CBC-TV.

40 years ago
1973

Popular culture
The rock group The Who and some friends were jailed overnight for $6,000 worth of hotel damage after a show at the Montreal Forum. The incident was later profiled in the John Entwistle song Cell Block Number Seven.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Karma Chameleon--Culture Club (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Come Back and Stay--Paul Young (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Lebanese President Amin Gemayel concluded two days of talks in Washington. Mr. Reagan and U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz reportedly urged Mr. Gemayel to widen his political base and extend the army's control in southern Lebanon, possibly by replacing some Israeli forces and thus encouraging Syria to negotiate its own withdrawal from Lebanon.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that unemployment had fallen in November from 8.7% to 8.2%.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Don't Worry Be Happy--Bobby McFerrin (5th week at #1)

At the movies
Tequila Sunrise, written and directed by Robert Towne, and starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, and Michelle Pfeiffer, opened in theatres.





Died on this date
Geno Spriggs, 20. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Spriggs, the son of former major league outfielder George Spriggs, was a third baseman and shortstop in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization with the Pirates (1987) in the rookie classification Gulf Coast League (1987) and Princeton Pirates in the Appalachian League (1988), batting .245 with 1 home run and 27 runs batted in in 90 games. He was killed in a car accident.

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on a four-day secret mission for the U.S. Department of Defense. The crew were: Robert Gibson, Commander; Guy Gardner, Pilot; Richard Mullane, Jerry Ross, and William Shepherd, Mission Specialists.



Politics and government
Benazir Bhutto was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to lead the government of a Muslim nation. She promised to free political prisoners, obey the rule of law, and work for an end to restrictions on unions, the press, and the rights of women.

U.S. Vice President and President-elect George Bush met with the members of the Democratic party ticket whom he'd defeated, Massachusetts Governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, and his vice-presidential running mate, U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate in November was 5.4%, an increase of 0.1% from October.

Disasters
700 people were known to have died and thousands may have been killed in a cyclone that struck Bangladesh.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): The Sign--Ace of Base (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Pablo Escobar, 44. Colombian criminal. Mr. Escobar, Colombia's leading drug lord, was shot to death by security forces in Medellin the day after his 44th birthday.

Space
The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a seven-member crew commanded by Richard Covey. The mission was to replace the Hubble telescope, which was not providing sharp photographs of distant space objects because of a flaw in its main mirror. Other members of the crew were: Kenneth Bowersox, Pilot; and Kathryn Thornton, Claude Nicollier, Jeffrey Hoffman, Story Musgrave, and Thomas Akers, Mission Specialists.

Diplomacy
Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid, whos forces had killed 18 Americans and wounded 70 others in battle, was a guest on a U.S. military plane. The U.S. government believed that talks in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa were critical to a breakthrough on Somalia, and provided the plane for General Aidid.

Crime
A jobless man who had reportedly been denied unemployment benefits shot and killed three people and wounded four others at an unemployment office in Oxnard, California. During a subsequent chase, he killed a policeman before being killed himself.

Economics and finance
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien said that he had received the assurances that he'd wanted on the North American Free Trade Agreement, and that his Liberal government now was giving full support to NAFTA. He announced supplemental accords in which Canada, the U.S.A., and Mexico said they would agree on anti-dumping measures by the end of 1995, and the three signatories also agreed that NAFTA rules would not require any nation to export water resources against its will.

Business
The National Bank of Canada bought Central Guaranty Trust's branches east of Ontario for $50 million--48 retail branches plus $3.5 billion in deposits and loans.

Labour
National Hockey League referees went back to work after a brief walkout.

Basketball
NBA
Houston 94 @ New York 85

The Rockets, led by center Hakeem Olajuwon, defeated the Knickerbockers at Madison Square Garden for their season-opening 15th straight victory, tying the record for best NBA start set by the Washington Capitols in 1948.