December 7, 2013

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Elena!

180 years ago
1833

Journalism
The journal L'Abeille Canadienne was first published in Montreal.

175 years ago
1838

Born on this date
Thomas Bent. Australian politician. Sir Thomas represented Brighton in the Victoria Legislative Assembly (1871-1894, 1900-1909), and was Premier of Victoria (1904-1909). He was known for enriching himself through corrupt dealings involving his property developments, which led to his demotion to the back benches for many years. Sir Thomas became leader of Victoria's Commonwealth Liberal Party and led them to electoral majorities in 1904 and 1907. He resigned as Premier in January 1909 after his government was defeated, and died on September 17, 1909 at the age of 70.

150 years ago
1863

War
In the U.S. Civil War, a party of 16 Confederates hijacked the American coastal steamer Chesapeake and sailed it to Saint John, New Brunswick for refueling, then to Nova Scotian waters, where it was recaptured by the USS Dacotah and towed into Halifax harbour. The U.S. vice-consul accused Nova Scotians of violating the 1842 Webster-Ashburton Treaty, which had resolved several border issues between the U.S.A., and British North American colonies, but the affair soon blew over.

125 years ago
1888

Born on this date
Joyce Cary. U.K. author. Mr. Cary was known for novels such as Mister Johnson (1939); A House of Children (1941); and The Horse's Mouth (1944). He died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on March 29, 1957 at the age of 68.

Hamilton Fish III. U.S. politician. Mr. Fish, aka Hamilton Fish, Jr., the son of U.S. Representative Hamilton Fish II and grandson of Secretary of State Hamilton Fish, played football at Harvard University as a tackle, where he was a two-time All-American, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. As a Progressive, he sat in the New York State Assembly from 1914-1916, before serving in the United States Army during World War I. As a Republican, Mr. Fish represented New York's 26th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1920-1945. He was a staunch anti-Communist and isolationist, and was a prominent opponent of the policies of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr. Fish's riding was gerrymandered in 1944, and he was defeated when he ran for election in New York's 29th District. He died on January 18, 1991 at the age of 102.

120 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Fay Bainter. U.S. actress. Miss Bainter appeared in numerous Broadway productions, beginning with The Rose of Panama in 1912. In 1934 she appeared in Dodsworth, and made her movie debut the same year in This Side of Heaven. In 1938 Miss Bainter became the first actress to be nominated for Academy Awards as Actress (White Banners) and Supporting Actress (Jezebel) in the same year; she won for Jezebel. Among other movies to feature Miss Bainter were Our Town (1940); The Human Comedy (1943); and State Fair (1945). Her final film appearance, for which she was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar, was The Children’s Hour, in 1961. Miss Bainter’s final Broadway appearance was in Gayden, which had a brief run in May 1949. Miss Bainter died on April 16, 1968 at the age of 74; since her husband, Reginald Venable, was a military officer, she’s buried alongside him in Arlington National Cemetery.

100 years ago
1913

Baseball
The New York Giants and Chicago White Sox continued their post-season exhibition tour, with the White Sox defeating the Giants 12-9 and a combined Giants-White Sox team defeating Keio University 16-3 in Tokyo.

70 years ago
1943

War
The Second Cairo Conference concluded with a Turkish affirmation of friendship with the U.S.A., U.K., and U.S.S.R. and a secret agreement that the major offensive originally planned for Burma would be scaled down because of Operation Overlord. The Turks agreed to complete preparations for Allied air bases by February 15, 1944, but a final decision on Turkey's entrance into the war was postponed until February 1944. Allied forces in Italy gained new ground, ousting German forces from positions around Mount Carmino.

Defense
The U.S. Navy launched the super-battleship USS Wisconsin, said to be the world's largest and most powerful warship.

60 years ago
1953

Business
The Mercantile Bank of Canada, a subsidiary of first National City Bank of New York, opened with head offices in Montreal, becoming the first foreign-owned bank to open in Canada.

50 years ago
1963

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Sugar Shack--Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Pour Moi la Vie Va Commencer--Johnny Hallyday (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Sabato triste--Adriano Celentano (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Rote Lippen soll man küssen--Cliff Richard and the Shadows

Rote Lippen soll man küssen was a German-language version of Lucky Lips, which had been a major hit for Mr. Richard in English-speaking countries earlier in the year.

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Want to Hold Your Hand--The Beatles

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Dominique--The Singing Nun

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Dominique--The Singing Nun (2nd week at #1)
2 I'm Leaving it Up to You--Dale & Grace
3 Deep Purple--Nino Tempo & April Stevens
4 It's All Right--The Impressions
5 Everybody--Tommy Roe
6 Sugar Shack--Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs
7 She's a Fool--Lesley Gore
8 Louie Louie--The Kingsmen
--[Paul Revere and the Raiders]
9 Washington Square--The Village Stompers
10 You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry--The Caravelles

Singles entering the chart were When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes by the Supremes (#72); Pretty Paper by Roy Orbison (#78); Surfin' Bird by the Trashmen (#80); Watch Your Step by Brooks O'Dell (#96); That Lucky Old Sun by Ray Charles (#97); and Somewhere by the Tymes (#98).

On the radio
Sherlock Holmes, starring Fridtjof Hansen Mjoen and Arne Bang-Hansen, on Norsk Rikskringkasting (Norwegian State Broadcasting Corporation)
Tonight's episode: Gullorgnetten (The Golden Pince-Nez)

On television tonight
The Jerry Lewis Show, on ABC

Among the guests on Mr. Lewis's two-hour variety show was Sam Cooke, singing Twistin' the Night Away and The Riddle Song.



The instant replay was used on U.S. network television for the first time by CBS director Tony Verna for the annual Army-Navy football game.

Basketball
NCAA
Kansas, coached by Dick Tarp and led by George Unseld and Walt Wesley, snapped the University of Cincinnati's 90-game basketball home winning streak 51-47 at Armory Fieldhouse. The streak, attributable mostly to the brilliance of Oscar Robertson, Paul Hogue and coach Ed Jucker, dated to March 1957.

40 years ago
1973

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: The Ballroom Blitz--The Sweet (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo (5th week at #1)

Energy
Atomic Energy of Canada sold a $250-million CANDU nuclear reactor to South Korea.

Labour
The blockade by U.S. truck drivers of major highways in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Delaware that had begun three days earlier ended.

Hockey
OHA
Toronto Marloboros' defenceman Greg Neeld suffered a serious injury to his left eye when he was high-sticked by Kitchener Rangers' defenceman Dave Maloney.

Baseball
The San Grancisco Giants sold pitcher Juan Marichal to the Boston Red Sox. Mr. Marichal had been with the Giants since breaking into the major leagues in 1960, and had been one of the best pitchers in baseball during the 1960s. He had compiled a record of 238 wins and 140 losses, with an earned run average of 2.84 in 14 seasons with San Francisco.

30 years ago
1983

Britannica
Fred Dibnah, Great Britain's chief steeplejack, was interrupted in his work by a tomcat that had climbed to the top of a 160-foot industrial chimney.

Disasters
92 people were kiled when two Spanish jetliners collided on a runway at Madrid's Barajas Airport.

25 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Sarah--Mauro Scocco (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Our Miss White

Diplomacy
Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, meeting in Sweden with a delegation of five American Jews, said that the PLO accepted Israel and condemned terrorism.

Disasters
25,000 people were killed and 12,000 families left homeless after an earthquake struck Armenia.

20 years ago
1993

Died on this date
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, 88. 1st President of Ivory Coast, 1960-1993. Dr. Houphouët-Boigny, nicknamed Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux (The Old One), was a physician before entering politics. He served in the French Parliament from 1945-1960, when France allowed her colonies some representation. Dr. Houphouët-Boigny was Prime Minister of Ivory Coast from August 7-November 27, 1960, becoming President upon Ivorian independence. As President, he advocated close ties with France, opposed Communism, and aided movements attempting to destabilize revolutionary regimes in other African countries. Economic conditions in Ivory Coast worsened during the later years of Dr. Houphouët-Boigny's regime, leading to discontent, which prompted him to introduce some democratic reforms. Dr. Houphouët-Boigny died after a period of declining health, and was succeeded as President by Henri Konan Bédié, President of the National Assembly.

Crime
A man using a 9-millimetre handgun shot and killed 4 passengers on a crowded rush-hour Long Island Rail Road commuter train as it approached a station at Garden City, New York. 21 people were wounded, 2 of whom subsequently died. The killer, Colin Ferguson, was a Negro from Jamaica who targeted white people in his spree. He was subdued by three passengers.

Environment
U.S. Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary said that 204 underground nuclear tests had been conducted in Nevada from 1963-1990 without notice to the public. Although safety guidelines had been followed, at least 36 tests had leaked trace radiation above ground. 800 other tests had been previously acknowledged.

Protesters lost a 20-year fight to save a 250-year-old chestnut tree in east London, making way for a motorway extension.

10 years ago
2003

Diplomacy
Zimbabwe, which had been suspended from the Commonwealth nearly two years earlier because of President Robert Mugabe's human rights abuses and election fraud, withdrew from the 54-nation organization, a voluntary group of countries united by a history of association with Great Britain.

Protest
20 protesters were arrested and dozens injured in the final unsuccessful attempt to save a 250-year-old chestnut tree in east London from being cut down to make way for construction of a tunnel link.