December 31, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Mike Matson!

275 years ago
1738

Born on this date
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis. U.K. military officer and politician. Lord Cornwallis was one of the leading British generals in the American War of Independence. He led his forces to victory in the Battle of Camden in 1780, and recorded a Pyrrhic victory at Guilford Court House in March 1781. Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American forces at Yorktown in October 1781, effectively ending hostilities in the war. Lord Cornwallis then held several vice-regal offices, including Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William (India) (1786-1793, 1805) and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1798-1801). He died of a fever on October 5, 1805 at the age of 66, just over two months into his second term in India.

160 years ago
1853

Transportation
The Great Western Railway reached London, Ontario from Hamilton.

130 years ago
1883

Born on this date
Lester Patrick. Canadian hockey player, coach, and executive. Mr. Patrick, nicknamed "The Silver Fox" in middle age, was a native of Drummondville, Quebec who played rover and defence for several teams in a career spanning 1903-26. He helped the Montreal Wanderers to Stanley Cup championships in 1906 and '07. Mr. Patrick and his brother Frank moved to British Columbia in 1911 and founded the professional Pacific Coast Hockey Association, competing for the Stanley Cup, and devising new rules, many of which still exist. Lester Patrick played in the PCHA from 1911-22, mostly with the Victoria Aristocrats and Cougars. He moved to the National Hockey League as the first coach and general manager of the New York Rangers in 1926, leading them through the 1938-39 season, compiling a regular season record of 281-216-107 and leading them to Stanley Cup championships in 1928 and 1933. Mr. Patrick was most famous for coming out of retirement as a player during the second game of the 1928 Stanley Cup finals, replacing injured Lorne Chabot in goal with 8 minutes remaining in the 2nd period of a 0-0 game against the Montreal Maroons. He allowed just 1 goal--with just over a minute remaining in regulation time--and stopped 18 of 19 shots as the Rangers won 2-1 in overtime. Mr. Patrick remained the Rangers' general manager through the 1945-46 season, leading them to another Stanley Cup championship in 1940. He remained as general manager of Madison Square Garden until 1950, and eventually moved back to Victoria, where he died of a heart attack while suffering from cancer on June 1, 1960 at the age of 76. Mr. Patrick was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1947; the championship trophy of the Western Hockey League was renamed the Lester Patrick Cup in 1960, and the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding contributions to hockey in the United States was first presented in 1966.

Defense
The first unit of the Canadian Permanent Force, "A" Company of the Infantry School Corps, was first mustered in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It later became the Royal Canadian Regiment.

90 years ago
1923

On the radio
The chimes of Big Ben were broadcast on radio for the first time by the BBC.

75 years ago
1938

Technology
The first breath test for drivers, the "drunkometer," was introduced in Indianapolis.

70 years ago
1943

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Had the Craziest Dream--Vera Lynn; Harry James and his Music Makers (1st month at #1)

War
The Royal Canadian Air Force was at its peak, with 215,000 men and women, and 78 squadrons, including 35 overseas and 6 heading there. Canada had produced 11,000 planes so far. The first German V-2 rockets rolled off the assembly line at the Mittelbau-Dora slave labour camp, an underground facility in the Harz Mountains. Production chief Arthur Rudolph later declared that the first rockets had been rejected and sent back underground for rework.

Politics and government
The Allied Military Government ordered the removal from public office in Italy of all members of organizations of a Fascist tinge.

The Argentine government dissolved all political parties.

Crime
Louis Kaufman was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and fined $10,000, and six others with him received 10-year prison terms and $10,000 fines for extortion in the motion picture industry. U.S.S.R. forces recaptured the rail centre of Zhitomir, 87 miles west of Kiev, as Soviet penetration of the German lines reached 200 miles.

50 years ago
1963

World events
The Central African Federation--aka Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland--was formally dissolved after 10 years, to be split into the independent countries of Zambia and Malawi, and U.K.-controlled Rhodesia.

Defense
Nuclear warheads for Bomarc missiles arrived at the Royal Canadian Air Force base near North Bay, Ontario.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)--Helen Reddy (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Noël interdit--Johnny Hallyday (5th week at #1)

30 years ago
1983

Hit parade
#1 single in France: Dès que le vent soufflera--Renaud

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): You Are--Dolly Parton (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Only You--The Flying Pickets (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Only You--The Flying Pickets (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Say Say Say--Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Union of the Snake--Duran Duran
2 Say Say Say--Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
3 Say it Isn't So--Daryl Hall-John Oates
4 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes
5 All Night Long (All Night)--Lionel Richie
6 Twist of Fate--Olivia Newton-John
7 Uptown Girl--Billy Joel
8 Love is a Battlefield--Pat Benatar
9 Break My Stride--Matthew Wilder
10 Talking in Your Sleep--The Romantics

Singles entering the chart were She's Trouble by Musical Youth (#85) and Just One More Time by the Headpins (#90).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 Say Say Say--Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)
2 Love is a Battlefield--Pat Benatar
3 Major Tom (Coming Home)--Peter Schilling
4 Union of the Snake--Duran Duran
5 Church of the Poison Mind--Culture Club
6 All Night Long (All Night)--Lionel Richie
7 Islands in the Stream--Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton
8 Cum On Feel the Noize--Quiet Riot
9 Tonight I Celebrate My Love--Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
10 Owner of a Lonely Heart--Yes

Singles entering the chart were Middle of the Road by the Pretenders (#43); Rebel Yell by Billy Idol (#46); 99 Red Balloons by Nena (#49); and Melody by Boys Brigade (#100).

World events
A military coup led by Major General Mohammed Buhari deposed Nigerian President Shehu Shagari, ending four years of civilian government, two days after Mr. Shugari had presented an austerity budget to the National Assembly that called for cuts in capital spending and imports in an attempt to balance the budget. Maj. Gen. Buhari, who said that deteriorating economic conditions had made the coup necessary, replaced Mr. Shagari as President, suspended the constitution, and banned political parties.

Diplomacy
Rev. Jesse Jackson, a candidate for the 1984 Democratic party nomination for President of the United States, met U.S. Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman at a Syrian army headquarters in Damascus. Lt. Goodman had been shot down by Syrian antiaircraft batteries near Beirut on December 4, and Rev. Jackson, accusing the U.S. administration of not doing enough to secure Lt. Goodman's freedom, had flown to Damascus on December 29.

Religion
At KC '83, Campus Crusade for Christ's Christmas Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, Howard Hendricks concluded his series of morning addresses on the kind of person needed to make an impact on a deteriorating society with a talk about Joseph, a person of conviction. Near the end of his message, Dr. Hendricks issued a warning that unfortunately, CCC is no longer heeding--see the details here. Josh McDowell and Bill Bright were the keynote speakers at Bartle Hall on the final evening of the conference.

Football
NFL
AFC Divisional Playoff
Seattle 27 @ Miami 20

NFC Divisional Playoff
Detroit 23 @ San Francisco 24

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): C'è da spostare una macchina--Francesco Salvi (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Orinoco Flow--Enya (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40):

#1 single in France (SNEP): Pourvu qu'elles soient douces--Mylène Farmer (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Mistletoe and Wine--Cliff Richard (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Mistletoe and Wine--Cliff Richard (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Every Rose Has its Thorn--Poison (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Every Rose Has its Thorn--Poison (2nd week at #1)
2 My Prerogative--Bobby Brown
3 Two Hearts--Phil Collins
4 Waiting for a Star to Fall--Boy Meets Girl
5 Don't Rush Me--Taylor Dayne
6 Armageddon It--Def Leppard
7 Giving You the Best That I Got--Anita Baker
8 Smooth Criminal--Michael Jackson
9 Look Away--Chicago
10 In Your Room--Bangles

Singles entering the chart were Girl You Know It's True by Milli Vanilli (#81); The Living Years by Mike + the Mechanics (#83); I Beg Your Pardon by Kon Kan (#89); The Great Commandment by Camouflage (#91); Chip Away the Stone by Aerosmith (#93); and Tears Run Rings by Marc Almond (#95).

Disasters
At least 51 people died when a boat transporting New Year's Eve celebrants sank at the entrance of the bay in Rio de Janeiro.

Hockey
NHL
New Jersey 6 @ Pittsburgh 8

Pittsburgh centre Mario Lemieux scored a goal in each of the five possible ways: even strength, by power play, shorthanded, by penalty shot and into an empty net, in the victory over the Devils at Pittsburgh Civic Arena. He assisted on the 3 Pittsburgh goals that he didn't score.

Football
NFL
NFC Divisional Playoff
Philadelphia 12 @ Chicago 20

Mike Tomczak completed a 64-yard touchdown pass to Dennis McKinnon in the 1st quarter and handed off to Neal Anderson for a 4-yard TD run in the 2nd quarter to help the Bears defeat the Eagles before 65,534 fans at Soldier Field in a game that was nicknamed the "Fog Bowl." Philadelphia quarterback Randall Cunningham completed 27 of 54 passes for 407 yards, but was unable to produce a touchdown.

AFC Divisional Playoff
Seattle 13 @ Cincinnati 21

Stanley Wilson rushed for a pair of 3-yard touchdowns and Ickey Woods rushed 1 yard for another TD as the Bengals took a 21-0 halftime lead and withstood a 13-point 4th-quarter rally to defeat the Seahawks before 58,560 fans at Riverfront Stadium. David Krieg passed 7 yards to John L. Williams for the first Seattle touchdown and rushed 1 yard for the second, but Norm Johnson missed the convert attempt on Mr. Krieg's TD with 6:04 remaining in regulation time, and the Seahawks were never able to get back into scoring position.

20 years ago
1993

Died on this date
Zviad Gamsakhurdia, 54. 1st President of Georgia, 1991-1992. Mr. Gamsakhurdia was a philologist and dissident who served as Chairman of the Supreme Council of Georgia from November 14, 1990-April 14, 1991, when he became the independent republic's first president. He faced much opposition and accusations of dictatorial behaviour, and was deposed in a violent coup d'état on January 6, 1992. Mr. Gamsakhurdia was leading a "government in exile" in the western Georgian city of Zugdidi, and died in the western Georgian village of Khibula under circumstances that remain unclear.

Music
Barbra Streisand performed her first paid concert in 22 years, singing to a sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Economics and finance
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 3,754.09, a 13.7% increase for the year.