December 31, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Mike Matson!

130 years ago
1889

Died on this date
George Kerferd, 58. U.K.-born Australian politician. Mr. Kerferd, a native of Liverpool, emigrated to Victoria in 1853, and became a beer and wine merchant. He represented Ovens in the Victoria Legislative Assembly from 1864-1886, and held several cabinet posts, including several terms, totalling eight years, as Attorney General. Mr. Kerferd was Premier of Victoria from 1874-1875. He was a judge on the Supreme Court of Victoria from January 1, 1886 until his death.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Ernest John Moeran. U.K. composer. Mr. Moeran was English, but partly of Irish extraction, whose work was strongly influenced by English and Irish folk music. He wrote two symphonies and other orchestral, vocal, and chamber works, as well as works for piano. Mr. Moeran's life and work were interrupted by periods of heavy drinking. He had a fatal cerebral hemorrhage and fell into water near his cottage in Ireland on December 1, 1950, 30 days before his 56th birthday.

110 years ago
1904

Born on this date
Basil Adlam. U.K.-born U.S. musician and composer. Mr. Adlam, a native of England, grew up in Canada, and then moved to the United States, where he became a saxophonist with the bands of Phil Harris and Ozzie Nelson, and worked as conductor and arranger with the Horace Heidt orchestra. He composed scores for several radio series, including The Six Shooter (1953-1954), while his work in television included composing for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1961). Mr. Adlam's film scores included those for the documentaries A Free People (1965) and One Giant Leap (1970). He died on November 9, 1974 at the age of 69.

War
In the Russo-Japanese War, Japanese forces captured the Manchurian city of Wantai.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): A Lovely Way to Spend An Evening-The Ink Spots; Frank Sinatra (1st month at #1)

War
Hungary declared war on Germany. Operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive on the Western Front, began. After a 48-hour battle, U.S. forces seized Rochefort on the western end of the German salient in Belgium. U.S. troops attacked north of Bastogne, while other units advanced against the Germans between Bastogne and St. Hubert. Remagen was captured. U.S. forces on the west coast of Italy advanced 1 1/2 miles north of Barga and captured Sommocolonia. U.S. aircraft under the command of General Douglas MacArthur made their first daylight raid on Formosa.

Politics and government
The Polish Committee of National Liberation, operating from Lublin with the cooperation of the U.S.S.R., proclaimed itself Poland's provisional government.

The Greek government of Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou left office, as Archbishop Damaskinos was sworn in as Regent of Greece. ELAS forces accepted the development as the basis for truce negotiations in the civil war.

In his New Year's message, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek promised the Chinese people a constitutional government before the end of World War II.

Society
Columbia University President Nicholas Murray Butler said in a year-end message in New York that unless the world was rebuilt on a moral foundation the end of all that had been accomplished in 5,000 years would not be far off.

Disasters
48 people were killed and more than 80 injured when the second section of the Southern Pacific Railroad's Pacific Limited rammed into the rear of the first section, 18 miles west of Ogden, Utah.

60 years ago
1954

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Am 30. Mai ist der Weltuntergang--Golgowski-Quartett (1st month at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Let's Have Another Party--Winifred Atwell (5th week at #1)

At the movies
Black Tuesday, directed by Hugo Fregonese, and starring Edward G. Robinson, Peter Graves, and Jean Parker, received its premiere screening in New York City.



50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: She's Not There--The Zombies

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): I Feel Fine--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 I Feel Fine--The Beatles (5th week at #1)
2 Love Potion No. 9--The Searchers
3 Amen--The Impressions
4 The Wedding--Julie Rogers
5 Downtown--Petula Clark
6 Run, Run, Run--The Gestures
7 Alone and Lonely--Bobby Curtola
8 Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)--Del Shannon
9 Anyway You Want It--Dave Clark Five
10 I'll Be There--Gerry and the Pacemakers
Pick hit of the week: This Diamond Ring--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
New this week: Undecided--Rene and Rene
Heart of Stone--The Rolling Stones
Do Anything You Wanna (Part II)--Harold Betters
Fancy Pants--Al Hirt
Hello Pretty Girl--Ronnie Dove

Died on this date
Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson, 83. U.K. military officer. Field Marshal "Jumbo" Wilson served with the British Army (1900-1947), participating in the Second Boer War and both World Wars. He held several commands in North Africa and the Middle East in World War II, including Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean (1944-1945). Field Marshal Wilson launched Operation Compass (1940-1941), achieving success against Italian forces in Egypt and Libya. He was Chief of the British Joint Mission in Washington (1945-1947), and was aide-to-camp to King George VI. Field Marshal Wilson was created Baron Wilson in 1946, and was Constable of the Tower of London (1955-1960).

Ólafur Thors, 72. Prime Minister of Iceland, 1942; 1944-1947; 1949-1950; 1953-1956; 1959-1961; 1962-1963. Mr. Thors, who was a member of parliament from 1926 until his death, was leader of the Independence Party from 1934-1961. He led his last government with the Social Democrats.

Terrorism
The al-Fatah guerrillas of Yasser Arafat launched their first terrorist raid on Israel.

Sport
Donald Campbell of Great Britain reached an average speed of 276.33 miles per hour (444.71 kilometres per hour) in his speedboat Bluebird on Lake Dumbleyung in Perth, Western Australia, becoming the first man to break speed records on land and water in the same year. On July 17 he had broken the land speed record for wheel-powered vehicles at Lake Eyre salt flat in central Australia, driving his car Bluebird CN7 at a speed of 403.10 mph (648.72 km/h).

40 years ago
1974

Economics and finance
Private U.S. citizens were allowed to buy and own gold for the first time in more than 40 years.

Baseball
The New York Yankees signed pitcher Catfish Hunter, who had been declared a free agent on December 15 because Oakland Athletics' owner Charlie Finley was ruled to have violated Mr. Hunter's contract by not making deferred payments as per the contract. Mr. Hunter signed for $3.75 million over five years, triple the salary of any other player. From 1971-1974 Mr. Hunter had posted a record of 88-35, and had been a major reason the Athletics had won the World Series in each of the past three seasons. In 1974 he had tied for the American League lead in wins with 25 and had led the AL with an earned run average of 2.49. With the signing of Mr. Hunter and the recent acquisition of outfielder Bobby Bonds from the San Francisco Giants in a trade for outfielder Bobby Murcer, New York owner George Steinbrenner wasn't alone in thinking that the Yankees were a good bet to win a pennant in 1975. Without Messrs. Hunter and Bonds, the Yankees had finished second in the AL Eastern Division in 1974, just 2 games behind the Batimore Orioles. The bidding war for Mr. Hunter's services gave other players an idea of what kind of salaries were possible for star players should free agency ever come about for players in general.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Like a Virgin--Madonna (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): ¿Cómo Pudiste Hacerme Esto a Mí?--Alaska y Dinarama (3rd week at #1)

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Escaping--Margaret Urlich (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli (5th week at #1)

Hockey
Winnipeg 3 Edmonton 2

NHL-U.S.S.R. (exhibition)
Super Series ‘90
Moscow Dynamo 7 @ Toronto 4 (exhibition)

See video.

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Los Angeles Rams 21 @ Philadelphia 7



AFC Wild Card Playoff
Pittsburgh 26 @ Houston 23 (OT)



20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Zombie--The Cranberries (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Strange Love--Kina (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Kaña de España--J. Rapallo

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Cotton-Eyed Joe--Rednex (13th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Dromen zijn bedrog--Marco Borsato

#1 single in France (SNEP): Can You Feel the Love Tonight--Elton John (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): I Will Survive--Hermes House Band (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Stay Another Day--East 17 (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men
2 Here Comes the Hotstepper--Ini Kamoze
3 Another Night--Real McCoy
4 Creep--TLC
5 Always--Bon Jovi
6 I Wanna Be Down--Brandy
7 I'll Make Love to You--Boyz II Men
8 Before I Let You Go--BLACKstreet
9 Tootsee Roll--69 Boyz
10 I'm the Only One--Melissa Etheridge

Singles entering the chart were Sympathy for the Devil by Guns N' Roses (#62); Get Down by Craig Mack (#73); Strong Enough by Sheryl Crow (#81); Don't Say Goodbye Girl by Tevin Campbell (#85); and I Apologize by Anita Baker (#87). Sympathy for the Devil was from the movie Interview with the Vampire (1994).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Woody Strode, 80. U.S. football player, wrestler, and actor. Mr. Strode was a decathlete and football player at the University of California at Los Angeles in the late 1930s. After serving in World War II, he played with the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 and the Calgary Stampeders from 1948-1950, making the Western Interprovincial Football Union All-Star team at end in each of his first two seasons in Calgary and playing a major role in the Stampeders' 1948 Grey Cup championship. Mr. Strode wrestled professionally from the 1940s until the early 1960s. He began acting in movies in the early 1940s in bit parts, and played major supporting roles in later years in movies such as The Ten Commandments (1956); Spartacus (1960); and The Professionals (1966). He was known for working with director John Ford in such films as Sergeant Rutledge (1960) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).

War
In a settlement negotiated primarily by Lieutenant General Sir Michael Rose, United Nations commander in Bosnia, the warring factions in Bosnia signed a cease-fire agreement effective January 1, 1995, under which they were to withdraw from the front line and allow UN peacekeepers to occupy the ground between them.

Russian forces launched a full air and ground attack on Grozny, capital of the rebel province of Chechnya. Although the presidential palace was in flames, Chechen President Dzhokhar Dudayev refused to surrender.

Oddities
This date was skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands changed time zones from UTC−11:00 to UTC+13:00 and UTC−10:00 to UTC+14:00, respectively.

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Detroit 12 @ Green Bay 16

See video.

AFC Wild Card Playoff
Kansas City 17 @ Miami 27



10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Gérard Debreu, 83. French-born U.S. economist and mathematician. Mr. Debreu was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences "for having incorporated new analytical methods into economic theory and for his rigorous reformulation of the theory of general equilibrium."

Asiatica
Taipei 101, which at 1,670 feet (509 metres) was then the tallest skyscraper in the world, officially opened.

December 30, 2014

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

1,975 years ago
39

Born on this date
Titus. Emperor of the Roman Empire, 79-81. Titus, the son of Vespasian, served as a military commander under his father. When Vespasian became Emperor in 69, Titus completed the suppression of the rebellion in Judea, sacking Jerusalem and destroying the Second Temple in 70. Titus served as prefect of the Praetorian Guard and acceded to the throne upon the death of his father, becoming the first Roman Emperor to succeed his biological father. He oversaw the completion of the Colosseum and eased the suffering caused by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and a fire in Rome in 80, but died from a fever on September 13, 81 at the age of 41, and was succeeded as Emperor by Domitian.

190 years ago
1824

Born on this date
Aleksey Lobanov-Rostovsky. Russian politician and diplomat. Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky held several diplomatic posts, including two terms as Russian minister to Constantinople. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by Czar Nikolai II in March 1895, and attempted to establish a Russian hegemony among the nationalities of the Balkans, while supporting the integrity of the Ottoman Empire. Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky also supported China's interests against those of Japan. He died suddenly of heart disease on August 30, 1896 at the age of 71 while travelling with Czar Nikolai, and was succeeded as Foreign Minister by Mikhail Muraviev.

180 years ago
1834

Disasters
Fire destroyed the Parliament buildings of Upper Canada at York.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Bert Parks. U.S. radio and television announcer. Born Bertram Jacobson, Mr. Parks hosted several radio and television game shows, but was best known for hosting the annual Miss America telecast from 1955-1979. He died on February 2, 1992 at the age of 77.

Jo Van Fleet. U.S. actress. Miss Van Fleet won the Academy Award for her supporting performance in East of Eden (1955) and a Tony Award for her starring performance in The Trip to Bountiful (1953). She died on June 10, 1996 at the age of 81.

80 years ago
1934

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Today’s episode: The Case with Two Solutions

Born on this date
Del Shannon. U.S. musician and singer. Mr. Shannon, born Charles Westover, was best known for his first and biggest hit single, Runaway, which spent 4 weeks as the #1 single in the U.S.A. in the spring of 1961. Other hits included Hats Off to Larry (#5, 1961); Little Town Flirt (#12, 1963); Handy Man (#22, 1964); Keep Searchin' (#9, 1964-1965); and Sea of Love (#33, 1982). He shot himself to death while under the influence of Prozac on February 8, 1990.

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Don't Fence Me In--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen and his Orchestra (Best Seller--2nd week at #1; Juke Box--3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Romain Rolland, 78. French author. Mr. Rolland was awarded the 1915 Nobel Prize for Literature "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings." His best-known work was the 10-volume novel Jean Christophe (1903-1912).

War
U.S. Senator Burton K. Wheeler (Democrat--Montana) proposed that the Senate proclaim its own peace aims "in the absence of the President taking a stand." Three American divisions launched attacks on both sides of the Bastogne corridor and thrusted into the German salient in Belgium. Moircy was taken but was lost to a German counterattack later in the day. U.S. planes made their deepest penetration of the Japanese-held Philippines, sinking eight ships at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon.

Politics and government
King George II of Greece issued a royal proclamation in London appointing Archbishop Damaskinos as his regent.

Economics and finance
U.S. Army authorities in control of the Montgomery Ward & Company offices in Chicago seized the firm's books and set their accountants to study them. Two days earlier, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had ordered the Army to seize Montgomery Ward's executive offices and other facilities in Chicago and Detroit for the company's refusal to obey National War Labor Board orders.

Labour
U.S. Stabilization Director Fred Vinson approved the National War Labor Board adjustments in the "Little Steel" wage formula.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Todo El Tiempo Del Mundo--Manolo Otero (2nd week at #1)

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in France (SNEP): Ghostbusters--Ray Parker, Jr.

#1 single in Switzerland: When the Rain Begins to Fall--Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora (6th week at #1)

Football
NFL
NFC Divisional Playoff
Chicago 23 @ Washington 19

AFC Divisional Playoff
Pittsburgh 24 @ Denver 17

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Lambada--Kaoma (14th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Hélène--Roch Voisine (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid II (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard)
: Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (3rd week at #1)
2 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
3 Rhythm Nation--Janet Jackson
4 Just Like Jesse James--Cher
5 With Every Beat of My Heart--Taylor Dayne
6 Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly
6 This One's for the Children--New Kids on the Block
8 Just Between You and Me--Lou Gramm
9 Living in Sin--Bon Jovi
10 How am I Supposed to Live Without You--Michael Bolton

Singles entering the chart were All or Nothing by Milli Vanilli (#64); C'Mon and Get My Love by D Mob introducing Cathy Dennis (#80); Black Velvet by Alannah Myles (#85); and Timeless Love by Saraya (#92).

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (3rd week at #1)

Football
NCAA
Sun Bowl
Pittsburgh 31 Texas A&M 28

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Old Pop in an Oak--Rednex (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Love Me for a Reason--Boyzone

Crime
John Salvi shot two women to death and wounded at least five others when he opened fire with a rifle at two neighbouring abortion clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts.

War
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Hall, captured by North Korea after his renaissance helicopter had been shot down over N.K. air space on December 17, was released, after U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Hubbard met with N.K. officials in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. The U.S. agreed to express its "sincere regret" over the incident.

Scandal
U.S. Representative Newt Gingrich (Republican--Georgia), due to become Speaker of the House of Representatives when the 104th Congress was sworn in four days later, said that he would give up a $4.5-million advance payment from HarperCollins Publishing, Inc. for two books, one he was writing about conservative political philosophy and the other an anthology of writings on democracy for which he was providing commentary. Mr. Gingrich had been heavily criticized by the liberal mainstream media for the deal; although he was forfeiting the advance, he said he would go ahead with the books, for which he would receive royalties.

Economics and finance
On the last trading day of the year, the Dow Jones industrial average closed at 3,834.44, a modest increase of 80.35 points or 2.1% for all of 1994.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Artie Shaw, 94. U.S. musician and bandleader. Mr. Shaw, born Arthur Arshawsky, was a clarinetist and one of the most popular bandleaders of the Swing Era of the 1930s and '40s. His best-known records included Begin the Beguine; Stardust; Frenesi; and Nightmare. Mr. Shaw was a compulsive perfectionist, which led him to retire from the music business in 1954, and made him a difficult person to live with--he was married eight times. Mr. Shaw came out of retirement in the 1980s and led another orchestra for several years.

Disasters
194 people perished in a fire at the República Cromagnon nightclub in Buenos Aires.

December 29, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Christine Gotaas!

325 years ago
1689

Died on this date
Thomas Sydenham, 65. English physician. Dr. Sydenham, nicknamed "The English Hippocrates," wrote Observationes Medicae (Observations of Medicine) (1676), which was a standard textbook for 200 years. His achievements included the discovery of Sydenham's Chorea, also known as St. Vitus' Dance.

170 years ago
1844

Born on this date
Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee. Indian lawyer and politician. Mr. Bonnerjee was a barrister who became president of the law faculty of Calcutta University, retiring from the bar in 1901. He was president of the first Indian National Congress in 1885, and served in the same capacity in 1892. Mr. Bonnerjee lived and worked in England for much of his life, ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate for the House of Commons in 1892, and co-founded the Indian Parliamentary Committee in England in 1893. He died in London on July 21, 1906 at the age of 61.

160 years ago
1854

Transportation
The Bytown and Prescott Railway began service, linking Ottawa with the Grand Trunk Railway.

130 years ago
1884

Transportation
The Kingston and Pembroke Railway opened a line from Kingston to Renfrew, Ontario.

120 years ago
1894

Literature
John Wilson Bengough ceased publishing the satirical publication Grip, which had been published weekly in Toronto since May 24, 1873.

100 years ago
1914

Literature
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the first novel by James Joyce, began running as a serial in the English literary magazine The Egoist.

90 years ago
1924

Died on this date
Carl Spitteler, 79. Swiss poet. Mr. Spitteler was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1919 "in special appreciation of his epic, Olympian Spring."

80 years ago
1934

Defense
Japan renounced the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.

Basketball
NCAA
The first college basketball doubleheader was held at Madison Square Garden in New York by promoter Ned Irish, who popularized the game. He rented the Garden for $4,000 and watched 16,000 fans show up. New York University defeated Notre Dame 25-18 in the opener, and Westminster (Pennsylvania) upended St. John's 37-33 in the nightcap.

75 years ago
1939

Defense
The U.S. heavy bomber Consolidated B-24 Liberator made its first flight.

70 years ago
1944

Theatre
Trio, written by Dorothy and Howard Baker, opened at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway in New York. The play had been scheduled to open on November 8, 1944 at the Cort Theatre, but Cort Theatre owner Lee Shubert had refused to allow the play to run there because the play's themes included an older woman's feelings for a girl. Elmer Rice, lease-holder of the Belasco Theatre, then allowed the play to run, where it closed on February 24, 1945 after 67 performances, after New York License Commissioner Paul Moss refused to renew the Belasco Theatre's license if Trio continued to run there. The cast included Richard Widmark.

Died on this date
Khasan Israilov, 34. Chechen rebel. Mr. Israilov joined the Communist Party in 1919, but opposed Soviet domination of Chechnya, and led the Chechen rebellion against Soviet rule (1940-1944). Soviet authorities deported all Chechens and Ingushes in February 1944, but Mr. Israilov managed to elude capture, hiding in caves, until he was finally captured and killed.

War
Royal Canadian Air Force Flight Lieutenant Dick Audet destroyed five German planes over France in 10 minutes. The point of the German salient in Belgium was driven back to Rochefort. The U.S. 3rd Army prepared for a drive on Houffalize, and other American troops moved toward Neufchateau. The Arlon-Bastogne highway was opened. American troops halted the German drive on the Italian west coast south of Gallicano. Bitter street fighting continued as Soviet forces attempted to complete control of Budapest. United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Director Herbert Lehman reported after his six-week tour of Europe that the Allies had promised all available shipping to take relief supplies to Europe.

Politics and government
Panamanian President Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia suspended the 1941 constitution and dissolved the National Assembly.

Environment
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt killed by "pocket veto" a bill that would have abolished the 221,610-acre Jackson Hole National Monument in Wyoming, established by executive order on March 15, 1943 after Congress had refused to approve this extension of Teton National Park because of opposition to government acquisition of grazing areas.

Labour
The day after U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had ordered the U.S. Army to seize the executive offices and other facilities of Montgomery Ward in Chicago and Detroit because of the company's refusal to obey National War Labor Board orders, Montgomery Ward officials refused to cooperate with Mr. Roosevelt by making the company's books and other data available to the Army.

50 years ago
1964

On television tonight
The Fugitive, starring David Janssen, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Ballad for a Ghost, with guest stars Janis Paige, Mark Richman, and Paul Fix

At the movies
The T.A.M.I. Show, a film of a two-day rock concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, opened in theatres.

40 years ago
1974

Football
NFL
NFC Championship
Los Angeles 10 @ Minnesota 14

AFC Championship
Pittsburgh 24 @ Oakland 13

A 29-yard touchdown pass from Fran Tarkenton to Jim Lash in the 2nd quarter and a 1-yard touchdown rush by Dave Osborn in the 4th quarter provided the Vikings with the scoring they needed to edge the Rams before 48,444 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, but it was a missed scoring opportunity for the Rams in the 3rd quarter that was the difference in the game. The Rams, trailing 7-3, began a possession at their own 1-yard line after a punt out of bounds by Minnesota's Mike Eischeid. Several plays later, Los Angeles quarterback James Harris completed a pass to Harold Jackson for 73 yards to the Minnesota 2-yard line. On second-and-goal from the 1, an illegal procedure penalty to guard Tom Mack moved the ball back to the 6. Mr. Harris then rushed for 4 yards to the 2, but on third down, his pass was deflected by Minnesota cornerback Jackie Wallace into the hands of linebacker Wally Hilgenberg in the end zone for a touchback. The Vikings took possession at their own 20, and marched 80 yards, finishing with Mr. Osborn's touchdown with 12:29 remaining in regulation time. The Rams struck back 3 minutes later on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Mr. Harris to Mr. Jackson, converted by David Ray, but the Vikings were able to control the ball for the final 5 minutes and 37 seconds to run out the clock and advance to the Super Bowl for the third time. Minnesota's Chuck Foreman rushed 22 times for 80 yards, and Mr. Osborn added 76 yards on 20 carries. Mr. Jackson led all receivers with 139 yards on 3 receptions. The Minnesota defense limited Lawrence McCutcheon, the 1974 National Football Conference rushing leder, to 32 yards on 12 carries.

Franco Harris rushed for touchdowns of 8 and 21 yards, and Terry Bradshaw passed 6 yards to Lynn Swann for another TD, as the Steelers, trailing 10-3 after 3 quarters, rallied for 3 converted touchdowns in the 4th quarter to defeat the Raiders before 53,023 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and advance to the Super Bowl for the first time. Cliff Branch scored the only Oakland touchdown on a 38-yard pass from Ken Stabler in the 3rd quarter, breaking a 3-3 tie. Mr. Harris finshed with 111 yards rushing on 29 carries, while backfield mate Rocky Bleier added 98 yards on 18 carries. Mr. Branch led all receivers with 186 yards on 9 receptions. It was the final NFL game for Oakland backup quarterback and former American Football League Most Valuable Player Daryle Lamonica, who dressed but didn't play, and joined the Southern California Sun of the World Football League in 1975.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): I Just Called To Say I Love You--Stevie Wonder (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT Top 30): Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): When The Rain Begins To Fall--Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Like a Virgin--Madonna (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Like a Virgin--Madonna
2 The Wild Boys--Duran Duran
3 Cool it Now--New Edition
4 Sea of Love--The Honeydrippers
5 I Feel for You--Chaka Khan
6 We Belong--Pat Benatar
7 Run to You--Bryan Adams
8 All I Need--Jack Wagner
9 Valotte--Julian Lennon
10 Born in the U.S.A.--Bruce Springsteen

Singles entering the chart were Knocking at Your Back Door by Deep Purple (#82) and Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat (#85).

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Sea of Love--The Honeydrippers (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Leo Robin, 84. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Robin worked in Tin Pan Alley in New York and later, in Hollywood, from the 1920s through the 1950s. He was best known for his collaborations with Ralph Rainger, most notably Thanks for the Memory, which was from the movie The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938), and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Mr. Robin died of heart failure.

Indus Arthur, 43. U.S. actress. Miss Arthur had guest roles in numerous television programs in the 1960s and 1970s, and small roles in movies such as The Slender Thread (1965) and MASH (1970). She died of skin cancer.

Politics and government
The Congress Party, led by Rajiv Gandhi, won 401 of 508 seats in the Indian general election. The election occurred two months after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Rajiv’s mother.

Football
NFL
AFC Divisional Playoff
Seattle 10 @ Miami 31

NFC Divisional Playoff
New York Giants 10 @ San Francisco 21

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins (5th week at #1)

War
The United Nations Security Council voted 75-20, with 39 abstentions, to "strongly deplore" the U.S. invasion of Panama.

Politics and government
The Czechoslovakian parliament elected Vaclav Havel, leader of the opposition group Civic Forum, President, without opposition.

Protest
Riots broke-out after Hong Kong decided to forcibly repatriate Vietnamese refugees.

Health
Canada became the first country in the world to ban smoking on domestic airlines.

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the leading economic indicators had edged upward 0.1% in November. The stock exchanges closed on the last day of trading for the year, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 2753.20, up 27% for the year. Standard & Poor’s index of 500 stocks was also up 27% for the year. The American Stock Exchange index was up 23%, and the Nasdaq over-the-counter market composite index posted a 19% gain for 1989.

The Nikkei 225 for the Tokyo Stock Exchange hit its all-time intra-day high of 38,957.44 and closing high at 38,915.87, serving as the apex of the Japanese asset price bubble.

Sport
NHL star centre Wayne Gretzky was named Male Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press, with tennis star Martina Navratilova being named Woman Athlete of the Decade.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Super Gut--Mo-Do (2nd week at #1)

War
12 days after North Korea had shot down a U.S. reconnaissance helicopter flying over its territory, North Korea released a statement ostensibly singed by captured Chief Warrant Officer Bobby Hall in which he admitted to a "criminal action."

The U.S. State Department criticized Russian attacks on civilians in the rebel province of Chechnya.

Disasters
Turkish Airlines Flight 278, a Boeing 737-400 jetliner en route from Ankara, crashed on approach to Van Ferit Melen Airport in Van, Turkey, killing 57 of the 76 people on board.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Julius Axelrod, 92. U.S. biochemist. Mr. Axelrod shared the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Ulf von Euler and Bernard Katz "for their discoveries concerning the humoral transmittors in the nerve terminals and the mechanism for their storage, release and inactivation."

Ken Burkhart, 89. U.S. baseball pitcher and umpire. Mr. Burkhart played with the St. Louis Cardinals (1945-1948) and Cincinnati Reds (1948-1949), compiling a record of 27-20 with an earned run average of 3.84 in 148 games. His best season was his first, when he was 18-8 with a 2.90 ERA. A sore arm shortened Mr. Burkhart's playing career, but he remained in professional baseball as an umpire, beginning in the minors in 1952. Mr. Burkhart was an umpire in the National League from 1957-1973; he worked in the World Series of 1962, 1964, and 1970. He was crew chief of the umpiring staff for the 1970 World Series, and it was a blown call in the first game for which he was best remembered. Mr. Burkhart collided with Baltimore Orioles' catcher Ellie Hendricks on a play at home plate, and ended up with his back to the play. Mr. Hendricks tagged Cincinnati Reds' runner Bernie Carbo with his empty glove while holding the ball in his other hand, but Mr. Carbo, who missed the plate with his slide, was called out. Mr. Carbo accidentally touched the plate on his way back to argue the call. The Orioles, who fell behind 3-0 early in the game, won 4-3, and went on to win the Series 4 games to 1.

December 28, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Heather Pick!

850 years ago
1164

Born on this date
Rokujō. Emperor of Japan, 1165-1168. Rokujō succeeded his father Nijo as Emperor, but because of his youth, the Japanese government was run by his grandfather, Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Rokujō was deposed in 1168 and succeeded by his uncle Takakura. Rokujō died on August 23, 1176 at the age of 11.

320 years ago
1694

Died on this date
Mary II, 32. Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 1689-1694. Mary II, the daughter of King James II, married her cousin, the Dutch Protestant William of Orange--the future King William III--in 1677. They came to power after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and reigned as joint sovereigns until her death from smallpox.

225 years ago
1789

Born on this date
Catharine Sedgwick. U.S. authoress. Miss Sedgwick was popular from the 1820s through the 1850s, writing novels and short stories featuring heroines who combined American patriotism with rebellion against Puritan conventions. She died on July 31, 1867 at the age of 77.

190 years ago
1824

War
Windradyne, leader of the Wiradjuri nation, surrendered, giving victory to the British in the Bathurst War in New South Wales, Australia.

70 years ago
1944

Movies
Motion Picture Herald announced that Bing Crosby was the biggest box office attraction of 1944.

War
The German offensive stood still as U.S. forces registered gains in counter-drives at several points along the perimeter in Belgium, and successfully repelled the final German effort to take Elsenborn. On the western fort of the Italian line, Germans forced an American retreat of 3 miles and took the villages of Barga and Gallicano. Soviet troops moved westward along a 90-mile front from Budapest toward Austria.

Literature
In Boston, Judge Elijah Adlow ruled that the novel Tragic Ground by Erskine Caldwell was not obscene, and dismissed police charges against a bookseller for distributing the book.

Economics and finance
The United States and Brazil agreed that the U.S. would supply 2,500 tons of synthetic rubber annually in return for Brazil's reduction of natural rubber by a similar amount.

Labour
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the Army to seize the executive offices and other facilities of Montgomery Ward in Chicago and Detroit for its refusal to obey National War Labor Board orders.

Hockey
NHL
Detroit 1 @ Montreal 9

Maurice "Rocket" Richard set a league record for a single game with 8 points, scoring 5 goals and 3 assists as the Canadiens routed the Red Wings at the Montreal Forum.

60 years ago
1954

Music
The single Milkcow Blues Boogie/You're a Heartbreaker by Elvis Presley was released on Sun Records.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): A Hard Day's Night--The Beatles

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 I Feel Fine--The Beatles
2 Goin' Out of My Head--Little Anthony and the Imperials
3 (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me--Sandie Shaw
4 Mr. Lonely--Bobby Vinton
5 I'm Gonna Be Strong--Gene Pitney
6 Everything's Alright--The Newbeats
7 Dance, Dance, Dance--The Beach Boys
8 Come See About Me--The Supremes
9 As Tears Go By--Marianne Faithfull
10 Anyway You Want It--Dave Clark Five

Singles entering the chart were Downtown by Petula Clark (#28); I'll Be There by Gerry and the Pacemakers (#31); Oh No Not My Baby by Maxine Brown (#32); Wild One by Martha and the Vandellas (#33); Bucket "T" by Ronny and the Daytonas (#36); Ringo Deer by Garry Ferrier (#37); Smile by Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#38); and If You Don't Want My Love by Jack London (#39).

On television tonight
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Consider Her Ways, starring Barbara Barrie, Gladys Cooper, and Robert H. Harris

Theatre
The musical Baker Street by Marion Grudeff and Ray Jessel received its United States premiere in Boston after revisions and a two-week run in Toronto.

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in the Netherlands (Veronica Top 40): Lonely This Christmas--Mud (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Lonely This Christmas--Mud (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Angie Baby--Helen Reddy

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin
2 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds--Elton John
3 Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas
4 You're the First, the Last, My Everything--Barry White
5 Junior's Farm--Paul McCartney & Wings
6 Angie Baby--Helen Reddy
7 Only You--Ringo Starr
8 Laughter in the Rain--Neil Sedaka
9 Please Mr. Postman--Carpenters
10 Boogie On Reggae Woman--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart were #9 Dream by John Lennon (#66); Sweet Surrender by John Denver (#74); I Am I Am by Smokey Robinson (#77); Nightingale by Carole King (#80); Don't Take Your Love by the Manhattans (#83); Part of the Plan by Dan Fogelberg (#92); Don't Call Us, We'll Call You by Sugarloaf/Jerry Corbetta (#93); Never Let Her Go by David Gates (#94); Up in a Puff of Smoke by Polly Brown (#95); Ain't That Peculiar by Diamond REO (#96); You Can't Do it Right (With The One You Love) by Deep Purple (#97); Should Anybody Ask by Garry Bonner (#98); Crazy Talk by Chilliwack (#99); and Hot Dawgit by Ramsey Lewis and Earth, Wind & Fire (#100).

Canada's Top 10 singles of 1974 (RPM)
1 Seasons in the Sun--Terry Jacks
2 The Streak--Ray Stevens
3 Sundown--Gordon Lightfoot
4 You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet--Bachman-Turner Overdrive
5 The Loco-Motion--Grand Funk
6 Bennie and the Jets--Elton John
7 (You're) Having My Baby--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
8 The Way We Were--Barbra Streisand
9 Rock the Boat--The Hues Corporation
10 My Melody of Love--Bobby Vinton

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas (2nd week at #1)
2 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds--Elton John
3 My Melody of Love--Bobby Vinton
4 I Can Help--Billy Swan
5 One Man Woman/One Woman Man--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
6 Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin
7 When Will I See You Again--The Three Degrees
8 You're the First, the Last, My Everything--Barry White
9 Laughter in the Rain--Neil Sedaka
10 Junior's Farm--Paul McCartney & Wings

Singles entering the chart were Renaissance by Valdy (#85); California Jam by Klaatu (#89); Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd (#90); Lonely People by America (#91); One Tear by Eddie Kendricks (#93); You're No Good by Linda Ronstadt (#94); Fire by the Ohio Players (#95); Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman by Tony Orlando and Dawn (#96); Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne by Jim Stafford (#97); Ruby Baby by Billy "Crash" Craddock (#98); Don't Cha Love It by the Miracles (#99); and Let's Put the Fun Back in Rock and Roll by Jason (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas
2 Angie Baby--Helen Reddy
3 I Can Help--Billy Swan
4 When Will I See You Again--The Three Degrees
5 Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin
6 Wishing You were Here--Chicago
7 Longfellow Serenade--Neil Diamond
8 Junior's Farm--Paul McCartney & Wings
9 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds--Elton John
10 Crazy Talk--Chilliwack
Pick hit of the week: Laughter in the Rain--Neil Sedaka

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)--Billy Ocean (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): The Wild Boys--Duran Duran (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Forever Young--Alphaville (2nd week at #1)

On television today
The Edge of Night, the only soap opera that this blogger ever regularly watched, was broadcast for the last time on ABC. The show had its origin with the Perry Mason radio series; when the move was made to television, it split into two shows. Perry Mason emphasized the legal and crime-solving aspects of the show, while The Edge of Night which made its television debut on April 2, 1956, remained as a soap opera, although with more of an emphasis on crime and mystery than the usual soap opera. The show moved to ABC on December 1, 1975. From 1968-1983 the head writer was Henry Slesar, who had written scripts for Alfred Hitchcock’s TV shows, as well as stories for Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Mr. Slesar won an Emmy Award for his efforts in 1974. The series was carried for many years in Canada on CBC, but that network broadcast its last episode on September 10, 1982. If I’m not mistaken, The Edge of Night was the last soap opera to occupy a half-hour time slot.

Died on this date
Sam Peckinpah, 59. U.S. film director. Mr. Peckinpah was known for directing violent movies such as The Wild Bunch (1969); Straw Dogs (1971); The Getaway (1972); Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973); and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). Less violent movies that he directed included the Westerns Ride the High Country (1962) and Junior Bonner (1972). Mr. Peckinpah was known for a lifestyle of heavy drinking and cocaine use, which probably contributed to his death from heart failure.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Ryyd-joulu--Bat & Ryyd (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Do They Know It's Christmas?--Band Aid II (3rd week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 singles of 1989
1 Straight Up--Paula Abdul
2 She Drives Me Crazy--Fine Young Cannibals
3 The Look--Roxette
4 Like a Prayer--Madonna
5 Wild Thing--Tone Loc
6 Buffalo Stance--Neneh Cherry
7 On Our Own--Bobby Brown
8 Wind Beneath My Wings--Bette Midler
9 Cold Hearted--Paula Abdul
10 You Got It--Roy Orbison

Canada's Top 10 albums of 1989
1 The Raw & the Cooked--Fine Young Cannibals
2 Forever Your Girl--Paula Abdul
3 Girl You Know it's True--Milli Vanilli
4 Like a Prayer--Madonna
5 Volume One--Traveling Wilburys
6 Don't be Cruel--Bobby Brown
7 Appetite for Destruction--Guns 'n' Roses
8 Full Moon Fever--Tom Petty
9 Alannah Myles--Alannah Myles
10 Mystery Girl--Roy Orbison

Died on this date
Hermann Oberth, 95. Austro-Hungarian born German physicist and engineer. Dr. Oberth was one of the founders of modern rocketry, with his short book Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen (By Rocket into Planetary Space) (1923) one of the most influential works in the field. A young Wernher von Braun was one of his assistants in the early 1930s.

Politics and government
The Parliament of Czechoslovakia elected Alexander Dubcek as its speaker.

Disasters
An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, killing 13 people.

20 years ago
1994

At the movies
The Madness of King George, directed by Nicholas Hytner, and starring Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, and Ian Holm, opened in theatres in North America.



Politics and government
R. James Woolsey resigned as Director of the U.S. U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. He had been criticized for his handling of the case of Aldirch Ames--the CIA agent who had been spying for Russia--and for not dealing sternly with oofficers who had failed to discover Mr. Ames' espionage more quickly Mr. Woolsey had also been criticized for not revamping the CIA in light of the end of the Soviet Union.

Scandal
U.S. Federal District Court Judge Susan Weber ruled that a lawsuit for sexual harassment filed by Paula Jones against U.S. President Bill Clinton could not be tried until Mr. Clinton left office. Judge Weber wrote that the president's responsibilities justified a temporary and limited immunity from trial, but she held that Ms. Jones' attorneys could gather facts in the case that could include interviewing Mr. Clinton.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Susan Sontag, 71. U.S. author. Ms. Sontag, born Susan Rosenblatt, was a liberal New York Jew whose writings, which included the collections of essays Against Interpretation (1966) and On Photography (1977), were of interest mainly to other liberal New York Jews.

Jerry Orbach, 69. U.S. actor. Mr. Orbach was a New York stage actor and singer who became best known for his starring role in the television series Law & Order (1992-2004). He died after a ten-year battle with prostate cancer.

December 27, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Marilyn Draper!

300 years ago
1714

Born on this date
George Whitefield. English-born clergyman. Mr. Whitefield was an Anglican who became one of the founders of Methodism. He preached a moderate form of Calvinism, and differed with Methodist founder John Wesley on issues such as eternal election, perseverance of the saints, and sanctification. Mr. Whitefield was cross-eyed and small of stature, but his booming voice enabled him to be heard by thousands of people at once in the open air. He arrived in America in 1738 and became one of the most popular preachers of the 18th century. He and Jonathan Edwards were the most noteworthy preachers of the "Great Awakening" in both Britain and America. Mr. Whitefield died on September 30, 1770 at the age of 55.

200 years ago
1814

War
In the War of 1812, the American schooner USS Carolina was destroyed; it was the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's makeshift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions prior to the Battle of New Orleans.

90 years ago
1924

Hockey
NHL
The Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Maroons played to a 1-1 tie in the first game between the teams at the Montreal Forum.

75 years ago
1939

War
Finnish forces held off a Soviet attack in the Battle of Kelja.

Disasters
Erzincan, Turkey was hit by an earthquake, killing 30,000.

70 years ago
1944

Died on this date
Amy Beach, 77. U.S. composer. Mrs. Beach was a pianist who became the first successful female American composer when her Gaelic Symphony was performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1896. She wrote about 150 songs, as well as works for piano, and other compositions.

Movies
The New York Film Critics Circle named Going My Way as the best picture of 1944, with Leo McCarey winning for Best Director and Barry Fitzgerald for Best Actor. Talullah Bankhead was named Best Actress for her performance in Lifeboat.

War
U.S. Army forces under General George Patton cut a northward path through the German salient in Belgium to relieve troops surrounded at Bastogne. U.S. forces captured Manhay, Humain, Surre, Boluide, and Boschleiden. Nazi elite troops were ordered to fight to the last man in house-to-house combat against Soviet troops in Budapest. U.S. air strikes drove off the Japanese task force on Mindoro Island in the Philippines.

Politics and government
A conference in Athens of Greek political leaders agreed to a regency under Archbishop Damaskinos.

Economics and finance
The U.S. War Production Board ordered a reduction in the use of lead for civilian production in 1945 because of war needs.

Labour
Harry Bridges, president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations International Longshoremen's Union, asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a final adjudication of the order to deport him to Australia.

60 years ago
1954

On television tonight
Sherlock Holmes, starring Ronald Howard and H. Marion Crawford
Tonight's episode: The Case of the Red Headed League



50 years ago
1964

Died on this date
Chris Gage, 37. Canadian musician. Mr. Gage, a native of Regina, was a jazz pianist who declined offers to tour with Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee and Gerry Mulligan. He led the Chris Gage Trio, which was the house band on the short-lived CBC television program Quintet (1962). Mr. Gage committed suicide in North Vancouver.

Football
NFL
Championship @ Municipal Stadium, Cleveland
Baltimore 0 @ Cleveland 27

Frank Ryan threw 3 touchdown passes to Gary Collins, and Jim Brown rushed 27 times for 114 yards, as the Browns blanked the Colts before 79,544 fans, with all the scoring coming in the 2nd half. Among those whose playing careers ended with this game was Cleveland defensive tackle Bob Gain, who began his professional career with the Ottawa Rough Riders' Grey Cup championship team in 1951 and then joined the Browns, playing with their NFL championship teams in 1954 and 1955.





40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet--Bachman-Turner Overdrive (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tränen Lügen Nicht--Michael Holm

Ottawa's top 13 (CFGO)
1 Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas
2 When Will I See You Again--The Three Degrees
3 I Can Help--Billy Swan
4 One Man Woman/One Woman Man--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
5 My Melody of Love--Bobby Vinton
6 Laughter in the Rain--Neil Sedaka
7 Everlasting Love--Carl Carlton
8 Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin
9 Junior's Farm--Paul McCartney & Wings
10 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds--Elton John
11 Angie Baby--Helen Reddy
12 I've Got the Music in Me--Kiki Dee Band
13 Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)--Reunion

Died on this date
Amy Vanderbilt, 66. U.S. authoress. Miss Vanderbilt was best known for Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette (1952) and Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cook Book (1961). She died from a fractured skull after falling from the second-floor window of her New York town house, although it was unclear if her death was suicide or accidental.

Football
NFL
The Kansas City Chiefs fired Hank Stram, who had been the team's only head coach since the franchise's beginning as the Dallas Texans in 1960. Mr. Stram led the Texans to the American Football League championship in 1962 in their last season before moving to Kansas City. The Chiefs won the AFL championship in 1966, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the first Super Bowl. Three years later, the Chiefs closed out the 10-year history of the AFL by defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, with the AFL-NFL merger taking effect in 1970. The Chiefs posted a 5-9 record in 1974, the worst in the history of the team, and indications were that there would be a considerable decline in attendance in 1975 if something wasn't done to improve the team in the off-season.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins

World events
The Romanian Revolution concluded, as the last minor street confrontations and stray shootings abruptly ended in Bucharest.

War
American military officials released casualty figures regarding the U.S. invasion of Panama which had begun on December 20. 23 U.S. soldiers, 3 American civilians, 297 Panamanian soldiers, and at least 400 Panamanian civilians were killed. 322 U.S. soldiers, 1 American civilian, 123 Panamanian soldiers, and at least 2,000 Panamanian civilians were wounded or injured.

20 years ago
1994

Died on this date
J.B.L. Reyes, 92. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, 1954-1972. Jose Benedicto Luna Reyes began practicing law at the age of 21, and was a law professor and leader of the Philippine resistance against Japanese occupation during World War II. He was appointed to the Court of Appeals after the war, serving on the Court before he was elevated to the Supreme Court. Dr. Reyes was highly regarded, and it was said that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos waited until Dr. Reyes' retirement before imposing martial law. Dr. Reyes served as the first president of the Integrated Bar Association after his retirement, and opposed martial law and the presence of American military bases in the Philippines.

10 years ago
2004

Space
Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reached Earth. It was the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on the planet.

Politics and government
The final run-off vote in Ukraine's presidential election resulted in a narrow victory for Viktor Yushchenko over Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

December 26, 2014

820 years ago
1194

Born on this date
Frederick II. Holy Roman Emperor, 1220-1250. Frederick II was the son of Emperor Henry VI, and succeeded his father as King of Sicily at the age of 3 in 1198. He became King of Italy and King of Germany in 1212, but didn't become Holy Roman Emperor until 1220, succeeding Otto IV, whom he had defeated in battle. The Holy Roman Empire expanded, and acquired control of Jerusalem as a result of the Fifth and Sixth Crusades. Frederick II was King of Jerusalem from 12251228. He has been described as the first modern ruler and the first modern European, promoting literature, arts, and sciences, while enacting legal reforms such as formally outlawing trial by ordeal. Emperor Frederick had frequent conflicts with the papacy; he was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church four times, and Pope Gregory IX called him an "antichrist." Frederick II died after a long illness on December 13, 1250, 13 days before his 56th birthday; he was succeeded as Holy Roman Emperor by Henry VII.

525 years ago
1489

War
The forces of the Roman Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella took control of Almería from the Nasrid ruler of Granada, Muhammad XIII.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Richard Widmark. U.S. actor. Mr. Widmark acted on radio and stage in the 1930s and '40s before making his movie debut as a psychotic killer in Kiss of Death (1947), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. He was capable of playing villains or heroes, and often played cowboys, military officers, or detectives in movies too numerous to name here. Mr. Widmark died on March 24, 2008 at the age of 93.

70 years ago
1944

Theatre
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams received its premiere performance at the Civic Theatre in Chicago.

Music
William Grant Still, a Negro, won the prize of a $1,000 war bond offered for his Festive Overture, celebrating the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's 50th anniversary.



War
Canadian troops in Italy captured Rosetta. U.S. Office of War Mobilization Director James F. Byrnes ordered that the re-examination of professional athletes who had been classified 4-F be extended to college athletes with the same classification. The U.S. 1st Army halted the German westward drive short of the Meuse River. The U.S. 7th Army siezed Grandmeuil. The U.S. 3rd Army, commanded by General George Patton, broke through to Bastogne. Soviet forces in Hungary completed their encirclement of Budapest and broke into the city streets. A Japanese task force including a battleship in the Philippines attacked the American positions on Mindoro Island, resulting in minor damage to the Americans.

Diplomacy
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who was in Athens with Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden in an attempt to settle the Greek civil war, met with Greek leaders, including those of ELAS, in an effort to unify the Greek government.

Economics and finance
Up to 35% of New York City's retail meat stores remained closed today as many butchers carried out their plan not to open until a ceiling was put on livestock prices so they could operate legally at a profit.

60 years ago
1954

On the radio
The Shadow, starring Bret Morrison and Gertrude Warner, broadcast its last new episode on MBS, ending the series' run after 17 years. Unfortunately, no recording of the final episode is known to exist.

Football
NFL
Championship @ Municipal Stadium, Cleveland
Detroit 10 @ Cleveland 56

Otto Graham passed for 3 touchdowns and rushed for 3 more as the Browns routed the Lions before 43,827 fans to end Detroit's two-year reign as National Football League champions.





50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Feel Fine/She's a Woman--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Sacré Charlemagne--France Gall (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Non son degno di te--Gianni Morandi (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Pretty Woman--Roy Orbison (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): I Feel Fine--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Feel Fine--The Beatles

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Come See About Me--The Supremes
2 I Feel Fine--The Beatles
3 Mr. Lonely--Bobby Vinton
4 She's Not There--The Zombies
5 Goin' Out of My Head--Little Anthony and the Imperials
6 Ringo--Lorne Greene
7 The Jerk--The Larks
8 Amen--The Impressions
9 Any Way You Want It--Dave Clark Five
10 Mountain of Love--Johnny Rivers

Singles entering the chart were Give Him a Great Big Kiss by the Shangri-Las (#72); Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key) by Jay and the Americans (#75); Somewhere in Your Heart by Frank Sinatra (#78); Look of Love by Lesley Gore (#80); Blind Man, with versions by Bobby Bland and Little Milton (#81); Bucket "T" by Ronny and the Daytonas (#83); Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back by Billy Edd Wheeler (#85); Voice Your Choice by the Radiants (#91); Live it Up (#92)/Guess Who? (#98) by Dusty Springfield; Do What You Do Do Well by Ned Miller (#93); Paper Tiger by Sue Thompson (#94); Little Bell by the Dixie Cups (#97); and Big Brother by Dickey Lee (#100).

On television tonight
The Outer Limits, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Counterweight, starring Michael Constantine and Jacqueline Scott

Football
AFL
Championship @ War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo
San Diego 7 @ Buffalo 20

Cookie Gilchrist rushed 16 times for 122 yards and Wray Carlton rushed 18 times for 70 yards and a touchdown as the Bills defeated the Chargers before 40,242 fans to win their first American Football League championship and end the Chargers' reign as AFL champions. The Chargers opened the scoring in the 1st quarter on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Tobin Rote to Dave Kocourek, converted by Keith Lincoln. However, on the next San Diego drive, Mr. Lincoln, who had already rushed for 47 yards on 3 carries, caught a pass for 11 yards, but lost a fumble and was put out of the game with broken ribs on a punishing tackle by Buffalo linebacker Mike Stratton. The Chargers were never able to move the ball effectively again. Pete Gogolak kicked 2 field goals and converted Mr. Carlton's 4-yard touchdown run to give the Bills a 13-7 halftime lead, and Buffalo quarterback Jack Kemp put the game away when he completed a pass to Glenn Bass for a 48-yard gain to the San Diego 1-yard line and then rushed 1 yard for a touchdown, converted by Mr. Gogolak.



40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Oh Yes! You're Beautiful--Gary Glitter (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Jack Benny, 80. U.S. comedian. Mr. Benny, born Benjamin Kubelsky, was one of the most popular comedians of the 20th century, first in vaudeville, and especially on radio (1932-1955), and later, television (1950-1965). He starred in several movies, the best of which was probably To Be or Not to Be (1942). Mr. Benny was famous for playing himself as a cheapskate who played the violin badly, and was always claiming his age as 39. He died after a brief bout with cancer.

Space
The U.S.S.R. launched the space station Salyut 4 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

30 years ago
1984

Died on this date
Sheila Andrews, 31. U.S. singer. Miss Andrews was a country singer who had minor chart success in the late 1970s and early '80s. Her most successful single was It Don't Get Better than This, which reached #42 on the Billboard country chart in 1980.

25 years ago
1989

Died on this date
Lennox Berkeley, 86. U.K. composer. Sir Lennox composed choral, chamber, instrumental, and choral works, including several operas and four symphonies.

Doug Harvey, 65. Canadian hockey player. Mr. Harvey was a defenceman with the Montreal Canadiens (1947-61); New York Rangers (1961-64); Detroit Red Wings (1967); and St. Louis Blues (1968-69), scoring 88 goals and 452 assists in 1,113 regular season games and 8 goals and 64 assists in 137 playoff games. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the National Hockey League's best defenceman seven times, played on six Stanley Cup championship teams, and was unanimously elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973. Mr. Harvey was also a halfback with the Montreal Hornets of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in 1945, scoring 1 point in a 6-game season. As well, Mr. Harvey played baseball in the Boston Braves' organization with the Class C Ottawa Senators and Nationals of the Border League from 1947-1950, batting .344 with 18 home runs in 238 games. He drank himself to death a week after his 65th birthday.

World events
U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev used the word "illegitimate" to describe the Lithuanian Communist Party’s declaration of its independence from the Soviet party on December 20, and ruled out secession by any of the U.S.S.R.’s 15 republics.

Politics and government
The day after the execution of Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena, Ion Iliescu, a former party official, was named interim President.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Cotton Eye Joe--Rednex (12th week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Cotton Eye Joe--Rednex (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Always--Bon Jovi (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Sylva Koscina, 61. Yugoslavian-born Italian actress. Miss Koscina moved to Italy during World War II, and worked as a model before appearing in Italian movies such as Il Ferroviere (The Railroad Man) (1956); Le fatiche di Ercole (Hercules) (1958); and Ercole e la regina di Lidia (Hercules Unchained) (1959). She appeared in Hollywood movies such as The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968) and A Lovely Way to Die (1968), but failed to achieve stardom outside Italy. Miss Koscina died of breast cancer.

Terrorism
Two days after four Armed Islamic Group hijackers had seized control of Air France Flight 8969 at Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers, the plane landed at Marseille, where a French Gendarmerie assault team boarded the aircraft and killed the hijackers.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Reggie White, 43. U.S. football player. Mr. White was a defensive end with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League from 1984-1985 before going to the National Football League, where he played with the Philadelphia Eagles (1985-1992); Green Bay Packers (1993-1998); and Carolina Panthers (2000). He was a 10-time All-Pro First team selection, and a 3-time All-Pro second team selection, as well as making the all-USFL team in 1985. Mr. White played with one Super Bowl Championship team, the Packers of 1996-1997. He was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Mr. White was also an ordained Baptist minister, and his fearless statements of biblical truth about homosexuality cost him a position as a pregame analyst on CBS telecasts of NFL games. He died of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia, one week after his 43rd birthday.

Disasters
The world's most powerful earthquake in 40 years, measuring 9.3 on the Richter scale, erupted underwater off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, creating a tsunami that sent walls of water barrelling thousands of miles, killing more than 200,000 people in half a dozen countries across South and Southeast Asia.

Football
NFL
San Diego (11-4) 31 @ Indianapolis (12-3) 34 (OT)

Peyton Manning of the Colts broke Dan Marino's single-season touchdown pass record when he threw his 48th and 49th of the season in their victory over the Chargers.

December 25, 2014

200 years ago
1814

Religion
Anglican minister Rev. Samuel Marsden held the first Christian service on land in New Zealand at Rangihoua Bay.

125 years ago
1889

Born on this date
Lila Bell Wallace. Canadian-born U.S. publisher. Mrs. Wallace, born Lila Bell Acheson in Virden, Manitoba, co-founded Reader's Digest with her husband DeWitt in 1922. She died on May 8, 1984 at the age of 94.

110 years ago
1904

Born on this date
Bill Akers. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Akers was an infielder with the Detroit Tigers (1929-1931) and Boston Braves (1932), batting .261 with 11 home runs and 69 runs batted in in 174 games. He played at least 834 games in 11 seasons in the minor leagues (1924-1934), hitting at least 72 homers. Mr. Akers later served as an Arkansas State Trooper and earned several decorations with the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. He died on April 13, 1962 at the age of 57.

75 years ago
1939

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Three Garridebs

70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I'm Making Believe--The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald
2 The Trolley Song--The Pied Pipers
--Judy Garland
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
3 Dance with a Dolly (With a Hole in Her Stocking)--Russ Morgan and his Orchestra
--Evelyn Knight with Camarata and his Orchestra
--Tony Pastor and his Orchestra
4 Don't Fence Me In--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
5 Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby)--Bing Crosby
6 Together--Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes
--Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
7 Let Me Love You Tonight (No Te Importe Saber)--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
8 I'll Walk Alone--Dinah Shore
--Martha Tilton
--Mary Martin
9 You Always Hurt the One You Love--The Mills Brothers
10 I Dream of You--Andy Russell

Singles entering the chart were Confessin' (That I Love You) by Ella Fitzgerald with the Song Spinners (#21); Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive by Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and His Orchestra (#22); Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (#27); I'm in a Jam (With Baby), with versions by the Andrews Sisters; and Hal McIntyre and his Orchestra (#33); If You are But a Dream by Frank Sinatra (#34); and Sweet and Lovely by Bing Crosby (#42).

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Blue Carbuncle

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation tested its new International Service with a Christmas broadcast from Sackville, New Brunswick in both English and French to Canadian troops in Europe.

Died on this date
George Steer, 35. S.A.-born U.K. journalist and author. Mr. Steer began his career in his native South Africa before moving to England. He served with The Times of London as a correspondent in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War and Spanish Civil War before World War II, and the Winter War between the U.S.S.R. and Finland (1939-1940), taking anti-Fascist positions. Mr. Steer was sent back to Ethiopia in June 1940 as an officer with the British Army's Intelligence Corps during the British campaign to restore Emperor Haile Selassie to the Ethiopian throne. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, but was killed in the crash of a jeep which he was driving to a Christmas party in Burma.

War
Canadian Army troops in Italy captured the Adriatic coast city of Ravenna. U.S. forces attacked toward Grandmeuil and established a defensive line in the Werpin-Armoninies area. Verdennes was recovered and Celles was seized. Soviet forces in Hungary cut out the last westward rail lines from Budapest as they closed their arc to 9 miles. U.S. forces in the Philippines took Palompon, the last Japanese stronghold on Leyte Island, ending the Leyte-Samar operation. 6 of 25 escaped German prisoners from the Papago Park Prison in Arizona were recaptured.

Diplomacy
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden arrived in Athens in an effort to settle the Greek civil war.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Office of Price Administration announced January 1945 allocations of 1.8 million tires for civilian passenger cars and 216,000 tires for small buses and trucks.

60 years ago
1954

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Sh-Boom--The Crew-Cuts (4th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Mr. Sandman--The Chordettes (Best Seller--4th week at #1; Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1; Jukebox--2nd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Mr. Sandman--The Chordettes (3rd week at #1)
--The Four Aces
2 Let Me Go Lover--Joan Weber
3 Teach Me Tonight--The DeCastro Sisters
4 Papa Loves Mambo--Perry Como
5 I Need You Now--Eddie Fisher
6 The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane--The Ames Brothers
--Archie Bleyer
7 This Ole House--Rosemary Clooney
8 Shake, Rattle and Roll--Bill Haley and his Comets
9 Hey There--Rosemary Clooney
--Sammy Davis, Jr.
10 Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)--Eddie Fisher

Singles entering the chart were (My Baby Don’t Love Me) No More by the DeJohn Sisters (#21); (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays by Perry Como (#22); Old Shoes by Frankie Laine (#28); On the Alamo by the Norman Petty Trio (#31); My Love Song to You by Bob Manning (#33); The Song from Desiree (We Meet Again), with versions by Paul Weston and his Orchestra and Johnny Desmond (#37); Sincerely by the McGuire Sisters (#38); Star Dust Mambo by Richard Maltby and his Orchestra (#45); and Ole Pappy Time, with versions by June Valli and Stuart Hamblen (#48). The Song from Desiree (We Meet Again) was originally from the movie Désirée (1954).

Died on this date
Johnny Ace, 25. U.S. singer. Mr. Ace, born John Marshall Alexander, Jr., was a popular rhythm and blues singer, with a string of hit records from 1952-1955, including My Song (1952) and Pledging My Love (1955). He was performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, when, during a break between sets, he began playing with a revolver, and playfully pointed it at others without firing, before pointing it at his own head, saying he knew which chamber was loaded. He was mistaken, and the world lost a great artist.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Feel Fine--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland: I'm Leaving It (All) Up to You--Donny and Marie Osmond (8th week at #1)

On the radio
A Study in Scarlet, starring Robert Powell and Dinsdale Landen, on BBC 4

To download the program, click on the links for parts 1 and 2.

Disasters
About 65 people were killed and 90% of the town of Darwin, Australia was destroyed when struck by Cyclone Tracy.

Crime
Marshall Fields, dressed in Arab clothing and claiming to be the Messiah and to be laden with explosives, drove his Chevrolet Impala through the Northwest Gate of the White House, resulting in a four-hour standoff. U.S. President Gerald Ford and his family were absent at the time.

30 years ago
1984

Basketball
NBA
New Jersey 120 @ New York 114

Bernard King of the Knickerbockers set a team single-game scoring record with 60 points in their loss to the Nets at Madison Square Garden.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Love Shack--The B-52's

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Frederick F. Houser, 84. U.S. politician and judge. Mr. Houser, a Republican, was a member of the California State Assembly (1931-1933, 1939-1943), and ran three unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives (1932, 1934, 1936). He was Lieutenant Governor of California (1943-1947), and sat on the California Superior Court (1947-1966).

Betty Garde, 84. U.S. actress. Miss Garde appeared, usually in minor roles, in plays, movies, radio, and television programs in a career spanning more than 40 years. She performed in several radio programs directed by Orson Welles.

Robert Pirosh, 79. U.S. movie director and screenwriter. Mr. Pirosh co-wrote the screenplays for the Marx Brothers comedies A Night at the Opera (1935) and A Day at the Races (1937), and won an Academy Award for his screenplay for Battleground (1949). He was nominated for another Academy Award for the screenplay for Go for Broke! (1951), which was the first movie that he directed.

Nicolae Ceausescu, 71. President of Romania, 1967-1989. Mr. Ceausescu and his wife Elena, 70, his chief deputy in the government, were given a brief trial by a military tribunal on charges of genocide, abuse of power, and theft, and they were both executed by a firing squad at an undisclosed location.

Billy Martin, 61. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Martin was an infielder--mostly playing for second base--with seven major league teams from 1950-1961, batting .257 with 64 home runs and 333 runs batted in in 1,021 games. He was best known for his years with the New York Yankees (1950-1953, 1955-1957), when he played with five World Series championship teams. He made a diving catch of a pop fly in the seventh game of the 1952 World Series to help save the game, and was the most valuable player of the 1953 World Series, batting .500 (12 hits in 24 at bats in a 6-game series). Mr. Martin managed five different major league teams from 1969-1988, compiling a record of 1,253-1,1013. He managed the Yankees five different times, leading them to the American League pennant in 1976 and the World Series championship in 1977. Mr. Martin won divisional titles with three of the other teams he managed, but he had a habit of wearing out his welcome; drinking and fighting often proved his undoing. Mr. Martin was killed in a vehicle crash; he and a friend had both been drinking, and Mr. Martin was apparently the passenger in the pickup truck when it skidded off an icy road, careened 300 feet down an embankment, crashed into a culvert, and stopped at the foot of his driveway. He wasn't wearing a seat belt, and the resulting injuries proved fatal.

Football
NFL
Cincinnati (8-8) 21 @ Minnesota (10-6) 29

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: George--Headless Chickens (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Hey Süßer--Lucilectric (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Cotton Eye Joe--Rednex (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Stay Another Day--East 17 (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Zail Singh, 78. 7th President of India, 1982-1987. Mr. Singh had been a member of the National Congress Party and had held several cabinet posts before being named President by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He died several weeks after suffering serious injuries in a car accident.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Gennadi Strekalov, 64. U.S.S.R. cosmonaut. Mr. Stekalov, an engineer, was a member of the crew of the Soviet space missions Soyuz T-3 (1980); Soyuz T-8 (1983); Soyuz T-10-1 (1983); Soyuz T-11 (1984); Soyuz TM-10 (1990); and Soyuz TM-21/STS-71 (1995), living aboard the space stations Salyut-6, Salyut-7, and Mir, and logging 268 days in space. He and Vladimir Titov narrowly escaped death when their Soyuz TM-10-1 spacecraft used the launch escape system to shoot to safety when their rocket exploded on the launch pad.

Space
The Cassini orbiter released the Huygens probe toward Saturn's moon Titan.