December 30, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Gladys Lucy Pomazongo Levano!

175 years ago
1838

Born on this date
Émile Loubet. 7th President of France, 1899-1906; Prime Minister of France, 1892. Mr. Loubet, a member of the Democratic Republican Alliance, was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1876, and was elected to the Senate in 1885. He served as Minister of Public Works (1887-1888), and was Minister of the Interior while serving as Prime Minister from February-December 1892. Mr. Loubet became President of the Senate in 1896 and President of the Republic in 1899. As President, Mr. Loubet dealt with the relations between the Roman Catholic church and the state, saw the forging of the Entente Cordiale with the United Kingdom, and inaugurated the Paris Exhibition of 1900. He died on December 20, 1929, 10 days before his 91st birthday.

160 years ago
1853

Diplomacy
In a treaty signed by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico James Gadsden, the United States bought a 29,670-square-mile region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

110 years ago
1903

Disasters
At least 605 people were killed in a fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Winnipeg Rowing Club 1 @ Ottawa Silver Seven 9 (Ottawa led best-of-three challenge series 1-0)

The Silver Seven were the defending champions.

90 years ago
1923

Radio
Canadian National Railways set up the first radio network in Canada by hooking up Montreal station CHYC with Ottawa station CNRO over telephone lines to broadcast the CNR anniversary program.

70 years ago
1943

At the movies
Whispering Footsteps, directed by Howard Bretherton, and starring John Hubbard, Rita Quigley, Joan Blair, and Charles Halton, opened in theatres.



War
After a week-long counterattack by Soviet forces west of Kiev, German divisions fled along a 186-mile front. Yugoslavian partisans reported driving German forces from the Croatian provinces of Banija and Kordun. Allied forces proceeded across the Garigliano River at the Tyrrhenian end of the Italian front. U.K. troops pushed a mile beyond Ortona along the Adriatic coast on the route to Pescara. U.S. Marines seized control of the Cape Gloucester air strips as surviving Japanese troops fled to the surrounding hills on New Britain Island.

World events
Indian independence activist Subhas Chandra Bose raised the flag of Indian independence at Port Blair.

Americana
Dr. George Fisher was named National Scout Commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America, succeeding the late Daniel Beard.

Journalism
After a long series of hearings in Washington in which U.S. Post Office lawyers sought to prove that Esquire magazine was "lewd and lascivious," U.S. Postmaster General Frank Walker ordered second class mailing privileges withdrawn effective February 28, 1944.

Transportation
The U.S. War Department announced that it would retain control of the nation's railroads because the threatened strike had been "postponed" and not "cancelled."

Economics and finance
The U.S. Treasury reported expenditures for 1943 at $87.932 billion, of which $82.142 billion was for war costs. The U.S. Office of Price Administration took a number of canned vegetables and fruits off the ration list.

60 years ago
1953

At the movies
The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Robert Keith, and Lee Marvin, received its premiere screening in New York City.





50 years ago
1963

On television tonight
The Outer Limits, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Zanti Misfits, starring Michael Tolan, Robert F. Simon, Claude Woolman, Bruce Dern, and Olive Deering

40 years ago
1973

Politics and government
In his first public appearance since the December 20 assassination of Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco, Spanish dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco told the nation that the attack had strengthened the country's institutions and had united Spaniards.

Football
NFL
AFC Championship
Oakland 10 @ Miami 27

NFC Championship
Minnesota 27 @ Dallas 10

Larry Csonka rushed 29 times for 117 times and 3 touchdowns as the Dolphins defeated the Raiders before 75,105 fans at the Orange Bowl to advance to the Super Bowl for the third straight year. Mercury Morris added 86 yards on 14 carries, and Miami quarterback Bob Griese, who threw just 6 passes, completing 3 for 34 yards, rushed 3 times for 39 yards as the Dolphins amassed 266 yards rushing. Garo Yepremian convertted all 3 Miami touchdowns and added 2 field goals. Mike Siani scored the only Oakland touchdown on a 25-yard pass from Ken Stabler in the 3rd quarter. George Blanda converted and added a field goal. Mr. Stabler completed 15 of 23 passes, but for just 129 yards and an interception.

Bobby Bryant's 63-yard interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter was a key play as the Vikings defeated the Cowboys before 60,272 fans at Texas Stadium in Irving to advance to the Super Bowl against the Dolphins in Houston. Mr. Bryant's interception, which gave the Vikings a 24-10 lead after Fred Cox's convert, was one of 4 made by the Minnesota defense against Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach. A subsequent interception led to Mr. Cox's second field goal of the game to close the scoring, and Dallas running back Walt Garrison lost a fumble at the Minnesota 2-yard line late in the game. Chuck Foreman, who rushed 19 times for 76 yards and caught 4 passes for 28, scored the game's first TD on a 5-yard rush in the 2nd quarter, after Mr. Cox had kicked a field goal in the 1st quarter to open the scoring. The Cowboys scored their only touchdown on a 63-yard punt return by Golden Richards in the 3rd quarter. Toni Fritsch converted to make the score 10-7, but the Vikings regained a 10-point lead on a 54-yard touchdown bomb from Fran Tarkenton to John Gilliam, converted by Mr. Cox. Mr. Fritsch kicked a 17-yard field goal to pull the Cowboys to within 17-10 after 3 quarters. The Vikings, led by Mr. Foreman and Oscar Reed, who rushed for 75 yards on 18 carries, amassed 203 yards rushing. The Cowboys were without injured running back Calvin Hill, and were held to 80 yards rushing, with rookie Robert Newhouse leading with 14 carries for 40 yards. Mr. Tarkenton completed 10 of 21 passes for 133 yards, while Mr. Staubach completed 10 of 21 for just 89 yards.

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Uptown Girl--Billy Joel (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Jenseits von Eden--Nino de Angelo

War
More than 100 Salvadoran soldiers were reportedly killed in an attack by leftist guerrillas on a brigade headquarters, the highest toll in any single clash with the guerrillas.

Religion
Dr. Joon Gon Kim and Elisabeth Elliot were the keynote evening speakers at the Campus Crusade for Christ student conference "KC '83" at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Don't Worry Be Happy--Bobby McFerrin (9th week at #1)

Died on this date
Bob Foxworth, 65. U.S. boxer. Mr. Foxworth was a light heavyweight who was national Amateur Athletic Union champion (1942-1943, 1946), and compiled a professional record of 20-3 from 1946-1948. He knocked out future heavyweight contender Bob Satterfield in 1 round and lost a 10-round split decision to future world light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim, both in 1947. Mr. Foxworth scored a 4-round technical knockout of Leonard Morrow on September 1, 1948, but suffered a detached retina in the 1st round, and was forced to retire.

Economics and finance
The Canadian Senate passed the bill approving the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had declined 0.2% in November.

On the last trading day of 1988, the Dow Jones industrial average closed at 2,168.57, an increase of 11.8% from its 1987 close. The year's gain of 229.74 points still left it far below the figure of 2,722.42 before the collapse of October 19, 1987.

20 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): The Sign--Ace of Base (4th week at #1)

Diplomacy
Israel and the Vatican signed an agreement of mutual recognition to put an end to Jewish-Roman Catholic hostilities.

10 years ago
2003

Health
The United States government announced that it would ban the sale of ephedra, an herbal stimulant linked to 155 deaths and dozens of heart attacks and strokes. Perhaps the most prominent death linked to ephedra was that of Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Steve Bechler, who was in danger of not making the team, and who was taking the supplement to help him lose weight when he died of heatstroke at spring training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on February 17, 2003 at the age of 23.