December 29, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Christine Gotaas!

220 years ago
1793

War
The Second Battle of Wissembourg concluded 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. The French forced their enemies to withdraw to the east bank of the Rhine River.

200 years ago
1813

War
In the War of 1812, British forces commanded by Major General Phineas Riall attacked the villages of Black Rock and Buffalo, New York with a party of Canadian militia and Indians to get revenge for the December 10 burning of Newark and Queenston, Upper Canada.

70 years ago
1943

Theatre
South Pacific, a drama written by Howard Rigsby and Dorothy Heyward, directed by Lee Strasberg, and starring Canada Lee and Ruby Dee (in her Broadway debut), opened at the Cort Theatre on Broadway in New York.

War
U.K. Royal Navy Admiral Bertram Ramsay and Royal Air Force Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory were named to command Allied sea and air forces, respectively, under Supreme Commander for Europe General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Soviet Red Army captured Korosten, an important rail centre 90 miles northwest of Kiev. U.S. troops broke into San Vittore, Italy, 5 miles east of Cassino. Yugoslavian partisan units penetrated the Yugoslav-Italian border, attacking the German garrisons at Castelnuovo and Gouiza. U.S. Marines advanced to within a half-mile of the Japanese airstrip at Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island.

Diplomacy
Cuba and Costa Rica announced that they would withhold recognition of the new Bolivian revolutionary government.

Politics and government
The MacArthur for President Club entered U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur's name in the 1944 Illinois U.S. presidential primary.

Academia
Brazilian President Getulio Vargas became the first chief executive to be elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

Labour
Leaders of U.S. railway, conductors, firemen's, and switchmen's unions told their members not to on strike on December 30, but they refused to accept President Franklin D. Roosevelt as an arbiter in the wage dispute.

Sport
U.S. middle-distance runner Gil Dodds was named the 1943 winner of the John E. Sullivan Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship.

60 years ago
1953

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Mr. Nobody, starring Constance Bennett and Art Carney

50 years ago
1963

Tennis
The United States, led by Chuck McKinley and Dennis Ralston, won the Davis Cup for the first time in five years, defeating Australia three matches to two in Adelaide, Australia. Mr. McKinley outlasted John Newcombe in four sets for the decisive victory.

Football
NFL
Championship
New York 10 @ Chicago 14

The Chicago defense, which had allowed an average of only 10 points per game during the regular season, allowed just 10 points in this game, making 5 interceptions off Y.A. Tittle as the Bears edged the Giants before 45,801 fans at Wrigley Field. The Giants scored first after recovering a fumble by Chicago quarterback Billy Wade at the New York 17-yard line. Mr. Tittle marched the Giants 83 yards, ending the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gifford, converted by Don Chandler to give New York a 7-0 lead at 7:22 of the 1st quarter. An interception return by Larry Morris of the Bears to the Giants' 5-yard line led to a 2-yard touchdown rush by Mr. Wade, and Bob Jencks converted to tie the game 7-7 with 16 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter. Mr. Chandler kicked a 13-yard field goal at 5:11 of the 2nd quarter to give New York a 10-7 halftime lead. Chicago defensive end Ed O'Bradovich intercepted a screen pass and returned it to the New York 14-yard line, leading to a 1-yard touchdown sneak by Mr. Wade. Mr. Jencks converted to give the Bears a 14-10 lead with 2:12 remaining in the 3rd quarter, and there was no further scoring, as the Bears made 2 more interceptions in the 4th quarter to preserve the lead. Mr. Wade completed 10 of 28 passes for 138 yards, while Mr. Tittle was 11 for 29 for 147 yards. Joe Morrison of the Giants led all rushers with 61 yards on 18 carries, while Ron Bull led the Bears with 42 yards on 13 carries. No one caught more than 3 passes; among those who did was Joe Marconi of the Bears, who led all receivers with 64 yards. It was the seventh NFL championship for George Halas as head coach of the Bears, but his first since 1946, and it turned out to be his last.







40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): t Is weer voorbij die mooie zomer--Gerard Cox (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Merry X'mas Everybody--Slade (3rd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Angie--Rolling Stones (5th week at #1)
2 48 Crash--Suzi Quatro
3 He Did with Me--Vicki Lawrence
4 The Ballroom Blitz--The Sweet
5 Photograph--Ringo Starr
6 Dancing on a Saturday Night--Barry Blue
7 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy
8 Rubber Bullets--10 C.C.
9 Summer (The First Time)--Bobby Goldsboro
10 I Am Pegasus--Ross Ryan

Singles entering the chart were Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer by Paul McCartney and Wings (#21); The Most Beautiful Girl by Charlie Rich (#33); Loves Me Like a Rock by Paul Simon with the Dixie Hummingbirds (#37); Ooh Baby by Gilbert O'Sullivan (#39); and The Day that Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee by the Hollies (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Time in a Bottle--Jim Croce

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Most Beautiful Girl--Charlie Rich (2nd week at #1)
2 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy
3 Time in a Bottle--Jim Croce
4 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
5 Hello It's Me--Todd Rundgren
6 Show and Tell--Al Wilson
7 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--Elton John
8 Living for the City--Stevie Wonder
9 If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)--Staple Singers
10 Mind Games--John Lennon

Singles entering the chart were Abra-Ca-Dabra by the DeFranco Family (#75); Raised on Robbery by Joni Mitchell (#77); Last Time I Saw Him by Diana Ross (#78); Jessica by the Allman Brothers Band (#79); Americans by Byron MacGregor (#81); Boogie Down by Eddie Kendricks (#85); You're So Unique by Billy Preston (#86); Put Your Hands Together by the O'Jays (#88); WOLD by Harry Chapin (#90); It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It’s Spring) by Love Unlimited (#93); Trying to Hold On to My Woman by Lamont Dozier (#98); Meadows by Joe Walsh (#99); and Eres Tu (Touch The Wind) by Mocedades (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 The Most Beautiful Girl--Charlie Rich
2 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--Elton John
3 Top of the World--Carpenters
4 Painted Ladies--Ian Thomas
5 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
6 Photograph--Ringo Starr
7 Big Time Operator--Keith Hampshire
8 I Got a Name--Jim Croce
9 Pretty Lady--Lighthouse
10 Space Race--Billy Preston

Singles entering the chart were Good to Be by You by Jack Cornell (#84); Goddess of Nature by Abraham's Children (#96); Teenage Lament '74 by Alice Cooper (#98); Jennifer by Tom Kelly (#99); and Make it Better by Kindness (#100).

#1 single in Calgary: Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks (3rd week at #1)

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 17 (CHED)
1 Undercover of the Night--Rolling Stones
2 Union of the Snake--Duran Duran
3 Major Tom (Coming Home)--Peter Schilling
4 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes
5 Twist of Fate--Olivia Newton-John
6 Say it Isn't So--Daryl Hall John Oates
7 The Best was Yet to Come--Bryan Adams
8 That's All--Genesis
9 Crumblin' Down--John Cougar Mellencamp
10 In Dim Light--Darkroom
11 Synchronicity--The Police
12 I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues--Elton John
13 Karma Chameleon--Culture Club
14 Gold--Spandau Ballet
15 Why Me--Irene Cara
16 Ready to Make Up--Toronto
17 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)--Michael Jackson

Diplomacy
Rev. Jesse Jackson, a candidate for the 1984 Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States, flew to Damascus to seek the release of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman, whose plane had been shot down on December 4 while on a strike against Syrian antiaircraft batteries in the mountains east of Beirut. Rev. Jackson had accused the U.S. administration of President Ronald Reagan of doing little to free Lt. Goodman.

Economics and finance
Nigerian President Shehu Shagari presented an austerity budget to the National Assembly, calling for cuts in capital spending and imports in an attempt to balance the budget.

The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had fallen 0.4% in November, the first monthly decline in 15 months.

Religion
Crawford Loritts was the keynote evening speaker at the Campus Crusade for Christ student conference "KC '83" at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. Dallas Theological Seminary professor Howard Hendricks delivered his second of four keynote morning addresses.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Back to the Stone Age--Stone

Defense
The U.S. Defense Secretary's Commission on Base Realignment and Closure issued its recommendation. To save an estimated $5.6 billion over 20 years, it proposed the closing of 54 bases, the partial shutdown of 5, and the "realignment" of 54 others. The Defense Secretary and Congress would have to accept the recommendation on an "all-or-nothing" basis.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): All for Love--Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting (2nd week at #1)

Diplomacy
In a draft proposal, Israel offered the Palestine Liberation Organization joint control of border checkpoints, and proposed to increase the area of Palestinian autonomy around Jericho to 43 square miles. PLO chairman Yasser Arafat rejected this compromise, and the Palestinians continued to insist on a greater sphere of autonomy and sole control of border crossings from Egypt and Jordan.

War
Canadian forces made their 1,000th relief flight into Sarajevo.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had increased 0.5% in November.

10 years ago
2003

World events
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the dismantling of four unauthorized Jewish settlement outposts on the West Bank.