December 13, 2014

720 years ago
1294

Religion
Celestine V resigned the Roman Catholic papacy after only five months in order to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit. He was succeeded by Boniface VIII 11 days later.

260 years ago
1754

Died on this date
Mahmud I, 58. Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1730-1754. Mahmud the Hunchback took over the throne after the Patrona Halil rebellion. He maintained good relations with the Mughal and Safavid Empires until his death, after a period of declining health.

120 years ago
1894

Politics and government
The Liberal government, led by new Premier Daniel Joseph Greene, was sworn in in Newfoundland, replacing the Conservative government led by Augustus Goodridge.

100 years ago
1914

Born on this date
Alan Bullock. U.K. historian. Mr. Bullock was best known for his book Hitler: A Study in Tyranny (1952). He died on February 2, 2004 at the age of 89.

90 years ago
1924

Died on this date
Samuel Gompers, 74. U.K.-born U.S. labour leader. Mr. Gompers, a cigarmaker, helped to found the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions in 1881, which was reorganized as the American Federation of Labor in 1886. He served as the AFL's president from 1886 until his death, except for 1895.

War
The Yugoslav-backed army of former Albanian cabinet minister Ahmed Zogu crossed into Albanian territory, intending to capture the capital of Tirana and take over Albania's government.

80 years ago
1934

Died on this date
Thomas A. Watson, 80. U.S. research assistant. Mr. Watson was on the receiving end of Alexander Graham Bell's first telephone call in 1876, when Mr. Bell, in the next room, said. "Mr. Watson - Come here - I want you." Mr. Watson was also on the receiving end of the first transcontinental phone call on January 25, 1915, when he was in San Francisco to hear Mr. Bell call him from New York City.

75 years ago
1939

War
The British Hunting Group G, consisting of the cruiser HMS Exeter and light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles located the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee near the coast of Argentina and Uruguay off the estuary of the River Plate. In the ensuing Battle of the River Plate--the first major naval battle of World War II--the Exeter was heavily damaged and was forced to retire, while the other ships were moderately damaged. Ajax and Achilles shadowed the Graf Spee until the German ship entered the harbour of Montevideo in neutral Uruguay for repairs. The ship's captain, Hans Langsdorff, released 62 crew members who had been captured from merchant ships that the Admiral Graf Spee had sunk on her most recent voyage. Under the Hague Convention of 1907, the Graf Spee was not entitled to remain in the port for more than 24 hours, without risking internment. Under the same convention, the Graf Spee had to give British merchant ships 24 hours start if they left port, and the British Consul arranged for the merchant ships in port to sail at 24 hour intervals, effectively locking the Graf Spee in the port whilst at the same time spreading propaganda about the vast fleet of British warships converging on the area.







70 years ago
1944

Hit parade
Variety reported that the most popular songs in the United States were:
1 The Trolley Song
2 Together
3 I'm Making Believe

Died on this date
Lupe Vélez, 36. Mexican-born U.S. actress and singer. Miss Vélez was nicknamed the "Mexican Spitfire," and starred in a series of movie comedies as a character by that nickname. She led a complicated and immoral private life, and committed suicide with an overdose of sleeping pills.

War
U.S. troops in Germany made small gains at several points of a 30-mile line from Julich to Monschau. Soviet forces in Hungary closed in on Budapest, taking Kisalag (6 miles north) and Isaszeg (8 miles east). ELAS forces increased their attacks in Athens. U.S. Army and Navy commanders of the central Pacific and Aleutian areas concluded secret conferences at which plans were laid for the war against Japan. Meanwhile, U.S. carrier-based planes struck at Japanese installations in the northern Philippines, destroying nearly 100 enemy aircraft.

World events
Rebels in El Salvador began an uprising against the provisional regime of Colonel Osmin Aguirre y Salinas.

Scandal
James F. Roe, who for 20 years had held an exclusive contract with the U.S. government to provide bonds for immigrants and deportees on Ellis Island, New York, was sentenced in New York to a prison term of 4-8 years for having defrauded deportees and war internees of $200,000 in 10 years.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Solid Fuels Administration announced that, due to manpower shortages and strikes, stocks of bituminous coal would be reduced to a real danger point by April 1945.

Labour
The U.S. National Labor Conference in Washington adoped a resolution recommending that all states establish a minimum wage of 65c per hour.

60 years ago
1954

On television tonight
Sherlock Holmes, starring Ronald Howard and H. Marion Crawford
Tonight's episode: The Case of Harry Crocker



40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas (6th week at #1)

World events
Malta became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Lambada--Kaoma (9th week at #1)

Diplomacy
South African President F.W. de Klerk met with Communist terrorist Nelson Mandela for the first time, at Mr. de Klerk's office in Cape Town.

War
The Provisional Irish Republican Army launched an attack on a British Army temporary vehicle checkpoint near Rosslea, Northern Ireland. Two British soldiers were killed and two others were wounded.

20 years ago
1994

Died on this date
Tony Kubek, 87. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Kubek was an outfielder who played 6 seasons in the minor leagues (1931-1936), batting .304 with 24 home runs in 609 games. Most of his career was spent with the Milwaukee Brewers of the AA American Association (1931-1935). Mr. Kubek died a week before his 88th birthday. His son Tony played with the New York Yankees (1957-1965) before embarking on a long career as a baseball broadcaster.

War
Russian forces began bombing raids in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the index of prices charged by producers for finished goods had increased 0-5% in November.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Andre Rodgers, 70. Bahamian baseball player. Mr. Rodgers, the first Bahamian to play in the major leagues, was a shortstop with the New York and San Francisco Giants (1957-1960); Chicago Cubs (1961-1964); and Pittsburgh Pirates (1965-1967), batting .249 with 45 home runs and 245 runs batted in in 854 games. He finished his career in Japan with the Taiyo Whales in 1969. Mr. Rodgers died 11 days after his 70th birthday.