December 26, 2013

220 years ago
1793

War
The Second Battle of Wissembourg began in France between French forces commanded by General Lazare Hoche and an army of Austrians, Prussians, Bavarians, and Hessians led by General Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser.

120 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Mao Zedong. Chairman of the People's Republic of China, 1949-1976. Chairman Mao co-founded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921, and made his name as lead of the "Long March" to northern China to flee attacks from the Nationalists in the 1930s. Civil war resulted in a Communist triumph in 1949, and Mao became the leader of the People's Republic of China. Mao's policies, including the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward, resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people; his regime killed more Christians than the number of Jews killed by the German Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler. Chairman Mao's death on September 9, 1976 at the age of 82 left the world a better place, but left a huge power vacuum in China.

110 years ago
1903

Literature
The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist, fourth in a series titled The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by A. Conan Doyle was published in this date's issue of Collier's Weekly in the United States and in the January 1904 issue of The Strand Magazine in the U.K.

70 years ago
1943

Literature
The American Library Association reported that a survey of 110 libraries revealed a decrease in public reading, but an improvement in taste, with entertainment reading suffering a heavy decline in favour of works dealing with international politics, aviation, and postwar planning.

War
General A.G.L. "Andy" McNaughton retired as commander of the First Canadian Army in Europe after falling out of favour with Minister of National Defence J.L. Ralston over his opposition to fragmentation of the Canadian Army Overseas. U.K. naval units attacked and sank the German battleship Scharnhorst in Arctic waters off North Cape, Norway, leaving Germany with two known battleships, the Tirpitz and Gneisenau. Only 36 of the 1,968 men aboard the Scharnhorst survived. Soviet troops resumed their offensive and rolled back German forces 25 miles on a 50-mile front in Ukraine. Street-by-street fighting continued in Ortona, Italy as Allied forces slowly cleared the northwestern part of the Adriatic port.

Science
The American Institute of Electrical Engineers announced that the 1943 Edison Medal was being awarded to Dr. Vannevar Bush for "development of new applications of mathematics to engineering problems."

Business
The Bolivian government announced that Axis firms there would be nationalized and their operations transferred to Bolivians.

Football
NFL Championship
Washington 21 @ Chicago Bears 41

Sid Luckman threw 5 touchdown passes and rushed for 64 yards to lead the Bears over the Redskins before 34,320 fans at Wrigley Field in a game played in such cold weather that it was nicknamed the "Ice Bowl." Mr. Luckman threw 2 touchdown passes each to Harry Clark and Dante Magnani and another to Jim Benton. Bronko Nagurski, who had come out of retirement late in the season, rushed 3 yards in the 2nd quarter for the other Chicago touchdown to conclude his Hall of Fame career. Washington quarterback Sammy Baugh completed touchdown passes to Andy Farkas and Joe Aguirre, and Mr. Farkas rushed 1 yard for a touchdown to open the scoring in the 2nd quarter. The championship was the third for the Bears in the previous four years.



60 years ago
1953

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus--Jimmy Boyd (3rd week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Rags to Riches--Tony Bennett (Best Seller--6th week at #1; Disc Jockey--5th week at #1; Jukebox--4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Oh, Mein Papa (Oh! My Pa-Pa)--Eddie Fisher
--Eddie Calvert
2 Stranger in Paradise--Tony Bennett
--The Four Aces
3 Rags to Riches--Tony Bennett
4 That's Amore--Dean Martin
5 Changing Partners--Patti Page
--[Kay Starr]
6 Ricochet (Rick-O-Shay)--Teresa Brewer
7 Ebb Tide--Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra
8 Santa Baby--Eartha Kitt
9 Eh, Cumpari--Julius LaRosa
10 Istanbul (Not Constantinople)--The Four Lads

Singles entering the chart were C'est Si Bon (It's So Good) by Stan Freberg (#18); Granada, with versions by Frankie Laine and Monty Kelly and his Orchestra (#24); The Strings of My Heart by the Gaylords (#31); Kissing Bridge by the Fontane Sisters (#34); Bimbo by Eddy Howard (#35); Boogie Woogie Maxixe (#36)/I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me (#42) by the Ames Brothers; Dear Mr. Godfrey by Ruth Wallis (#44); and Mama's Gone, Goodbye by Pee Wee Hunt and his Orchestra (#46). The Strings of My Heart was the other side of Mama-Papa Polka, which charted at #41.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Gorgeous George, 48. U.S. wrestler. Born George Wagner, Gorgeous George was the most popular professional wrestler in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. His outrageous antics and effeminate appearance in the ring were credited wit inspiring huge increases in the sales of television sets during this period. Promoter Al Oeming brought Mr. Wagner--who had his name legally changed to Gorgeous George in 1950--to Edmonton in 1949 for an appearance at the Edmonton Arena, although the city was still five years away from having its first television station. Gorgeous George wrestled until December 1962, but heavy drinking and business setbacks took their toll on him. In 1963 he was living in a flophouse on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, and he died in hospital after suffering a heart attack. Gorgeous George had a tremendous influence on popular culture, including the public personas of boxer Muhammad Ali and singer James Brown, and even the music career of Bob Dylan. The biography Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler Who Created American Pop Culture (2008) by John Capouya is well worth reading.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland: I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo (6th week at #1)

At the movies
The Exorcist, starring Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, and Linda Blair, opened in theatres.

Died on this date
Harold B. Lee, 74. U.S. religious leader. Mr. Lee joined the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1941, eventually serving as President from July 7, 1972 until his death from a pulmonary hemorrhage. He was succeeded as Mormon Church President by Spencer W. Kimball.

Diplomacy
Talks between Egyptian and Israeli generals on the separation of the two countries' troops from the Suez Canal began in Geneva under the auspices of the Middle East peace conference.

Oil
In view of the previous day's announcement by Arab oil producers of an increase in the production of oil in January 1974, the 20% reduction in the supply for industry in Japan, scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 1974, was suspended.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): All Night Long (All Night)--Lionel Richie (2nd week at #1)

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Los Angeles Rams 24 @ Dallas 17

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Kokomo--The Beach Boys

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You--Glenn Medeiros (6th week at #1)

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Los Angeles Rams 17 @ Minnesota 28

Joey Browner made interceptions to set up touchdowns by Alfred Anderson and Allen Rice in the 1st quarter as the Vikings took a 14-0 lead and coasted to victory over the Rams before 57,666 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: It Keeps Rainin' (Tears from My Eyes)--Bitty McLean (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Babe--Take That (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Mr Blobby--Mr Blobby (2nd week at #1)

Abominations
The Boston Globe reported that from 1946-1956, scientists at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology had given doses of radiation in milk to 19 mentally retarded boys to study effects on the digestive system.

10 years ago
2003

Died on this date
Clifton McNeely, 84. U.S. basketball player and coach. Mr. McNeely played at Texas Wesleyan University (1941-42, 1946-47), and became the first player ever drafted in what is now the National Basketball Association when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Ironmen of the Basketball Association of America in 1947. He declined to play professionally, and instead opted for a coaching career at Pampa High School in Pampa, Texas from 1947-60, compiling a record of 320-43 and leading the school to four state championships.

Disasters
An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale destroyed most of the ancient city of Bam in southeastern Iran.

Football
NCAA
Insight Bowl @ Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix
California 52 Virginia Tech 49

Tyler Frederickson kicked a 35-yard field goal on the last play of regulation time to give the Bears their win over the Hokies before 42,364 fans. California quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes for 394 yards and 2 touchdowns, and was named the game's outstanding offensive player. Teammate Ryan Gutierrez made 12 tackles and was names the game's outstanding defensive player.