December 21, 2014

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Juliette Richard!

210 years ago
1804

Born on this date
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1868, 1874-1880. Mr. Disraeli was of Jewish ancestry, but converted to Anglicanism at the age of 12. He was a novelist before and after entering politics. A Conservative, Mr. Disraeli entered the House of Commons in 1837; he spent most of his career in opposition, but was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1852, 1858-1859, 1866-1868) in the governments of Lord Derby. When Lord Derby resigned in February 1868, Mr. Disraeli succeeded him, but the Conservatives were defeated by W.E. Gladstone's Liberals in the general election nine months later. The Conservatives were returned to power with a majority in the 1874 election; Mr. Disraeli enjoyed a close friendship with Queen Victoria, who appointed him Earl of Beaconsfield. His government was mainly concerned with the Eastern Question--instability in the Ottoman Empire--and Mr. Disraeli arranged for British purchase of a major interest in the Suez Canal and peace terms in the Balkans favourable to Britain and unfavourable to Russia. Wars in Afghanistan and South Africa, as well as domestic economic issues, undermined Mr. Disraeli's public support, and Mr. Gladstone led the Liberals back into power in the 1880 general election. Mr. Disraeli continued as Leader of the Opposition until his death on April 19, 1871 at the age of 66 from bronchitis after suffering from asthma and gout.

170 years ago
1844

Business
The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers opened their store in Rochdale, England, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement.

120 years ago
1894

Politics and government
Canadian Governor General Earl of Aberdeen appointed Senator Mackenzie Bowell, the Conservative government's senior cabinet minister, as Prime Minister, succeeding Sir John Thompson, who had died suddenly in London on December 12. Sir Mackenzie, the Minister of Trade and Commerce and government leader in the Senate, became the second--and so far, last--person to be Prime Minister of Canada while serving in the Senate.

70 years ago
1944

At the movies
The Fighting Lady, a documentary directed by Edward Steichen, and narrated by Robert Taylor, opened in theatres.



War
Canadian troops in Italy captured Bagnacavallo and advanced on the eastern front to the Senio River. In the pincer movement to trap the last German troops in Hungary, Soviet forces closed the gap between their armies to 22 miles. British troops in Greece used tanks and rocket-firing planes against ELAS forces.

Scandal
James Allen, who had been convicted of conspiracy to obstruct the drafting of men into the U.S. armed services and had been unsuccessful in four attempts to have his case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, filed a suit for $75 million against U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Attorney General Francis Biddle, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover, and others on charges that they had "conspired" to injure his reputation and property; deprive him of his liberty and use of freedom of the press; and intimidate him in to submission.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill authorizing a $10-million public works program for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Communications
U.S. President Roosevelt appointed Paul Porter as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

60 years ago
1954

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson, on BBC Light Programme
Tonight's episode: The Final Problem, with guest star Orson Welles as Professor Moriarty

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Ma Vie--Alain Barriere (6th week at #1)

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me--Sandie Shaw
2 I Feel Fine--The Beatles
3 Mr. Lonely--Bobby Vinton
4 I'm Gonna Be Strong--Gene Pitney
5 Ringo--Lorne Greene
6 Big Man in Town--The 4 Seasons
7 Mountain of Love--Johnny Rivers
8 Come See About Me--The Supremes
9 Everything's Alright--The Newbeats
10 Dance, Dance, Dance--The Beach Boys

Singles entering the chart were The Jerk by the Larks (#29); He's in Town by the Red Berries (#33); Boom Boom by the Animals (#34); Lovin' Place by Gale Garnett (#35); Don't Forget I Still Love You by Bobbi Martin (#37); Do-Wacka-Do by Roger Miller (#38); My Buddy Seat by the Hondells (#39); and I Can't Live Without You by Joe Popiel (#40).

On television tonight
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Memo from Purgatory, starring James Caan, Lynn Loring, Walter Koenig, Tony Musante, and Zalman King

Music
The album Coast to Coast by the Dave Clark Five was released in the U.S.A. on Epic Records. It was released in Canada on January 11, 1965 on Capitol Records under the title Across Canada with the Dave Clark Five.

Space
The United States launched the satellite Explorer 26, whose mission was to study natural and artificial radiation regions.

40 years ago
1974

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

#1 single in the U.K.: Lonely This Christmas--Mud

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Angie Baby--Helen Reddy
2 Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin
3 Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas
4 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds--Elton John
5 Junior's Farm--Paul McCartney & Wings
6 You're the First, the Last, My Everything--Barry White
7 I Can Help--Billy Swan
8 Only You--Ringo Starr
9 Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)--Al Green
10 You Got the Love--Rufus featuring Chaka Khan

Singles entering the chart were Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell (#80); Black Water by the Doobie Brothers (#82); Lonely People by America (#83); When a Child is Born by Michael Holm (#84); I'm a Woman by Maria Muldaur (#87); Costafine Town by Splinter (#89); Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne by Jim Stafford (#96); I Wouldn't Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me) by Bobby Bland (#98); Hoppy, Gene and Me by Roy Rogers (#99); and Day Tripper by Anne Murray (#100). Big Yellow Taxi was a live version of a song that had originally been a hit for Miss Mitchell in 1970.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas
2 I Can Help--Billy Swan
3 My Melody of Love--Bobby Vinton
4 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds--Elton John
5 When Will I See You Again--The Three Degrees
6 So You are a Star--The Hudson Brothers
7 Longfellow Serenade--Neil Diamond
8 Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)--Reunion
9 One Man Woman/One Woman Man--Paul Anka with Odia Coates
10 Junior's Farm--Paul McCartney & Wings

Singles entering the chart were Day Tripper by Anne Murray (#84); Ready by Cat Stevens (#85); Best of My Love by the Eagles (#86); Pick Up the Pieces by Average White Band (#87); Fly Away by Wednesday (#88); I'll Be Your Everything by Percy Sledge (#89); Struttin' by Billy Preston (#91); Get Dancin' by Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes (#92); I Belong to You by Love Unlimited (#93); Changes by David Bowie (#94); It's All Right by Jim Capaldi (#95); She's Gone by Tavares (#96); Someday by Dave Loggins (#97); I'll Be Gone by the Huggett Family (#98); Some Kind of Wonderful by Grand Funk (#99); and Can't Get it Out of My Head by Electric Light Orchestra (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 Angie Baby--Helen Reddy (2nd week at #1)
2 Cat's in the Cradle--Harry Chapin
3 Kung Fu Fighting--Carl Douglas
4 Ramona--Stampeders
5 I Can Help--Billy Swan
6 Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)--Reunion
7 When Will I See You Again--The Three Degrees
8 Wishing You were Here--Chicago
9 Longfellow Serenade--Neil Diamond
10 So You are a Star--The Hudson Brothers
Pick hit of the week: Everlasting Love--Carl Carlton

Died on this date
Richard Long, 47. U.S. actor. Mr. Long appeared in the television series Bourbon Street Beat (1959-1960); 77 Sunset Strip (1960-1962); The Big Valley (1965-1969); and Nanny and the Professor (1970-1971). His movies included Tomorrow is Forever (1946); The Stranger (1946); and Cult of the Cobra (1955). Mr. Long died four days after his 47th birthday, after a series of heart attacks.

Hockey
NHL
Boston 4 @ Toronto 8

In the national Hockey Night in Canada telecast, Inge Hammarstrom had the best game of his career, scoring 3 goals for the Maple Leafs and earning the selection as the game's first star as they upset the Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens. Phil Esposito scored 3 goals for Boston and was named the game's third star.

Football
NFL
NFC Divisional Playoff
St. Louis 14 @ Minnesota 30

AFC Divisional Playoff
Miami 26 @ Oakland 28

Fran Tarkenton completed touchdown passes of 16 and 38 yards to John Gilliam, and Chuck Foreman rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown as the Vikings defeated the Cardinals before 48,150 fans at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. The touchdown that broke the game open came in the 3rd quarter, when Minnesota defensive back Nate Wright returned a fumble 20 yards, and Fred Cox's convert gave the Vikings a 17-7 lead. The Cardinals opened and closed the scoring on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jim Hart to Earl Thomas and an 11-yard touchdown rush by Terry Metcalf, both converted by Jim Bakken.



Ken Stabler's 8-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Davis with 26 seconds remaining in regulation time gave the Raiders their win over the Dolphins before 53,023 fans at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, ending Miami's two-year reign as Super Bowl champions. Mr. Stabler had earlier thrown touchdown passes of 31 yards to Charlie Smith, 13 yards to Fred Biletnikoff, and 72 yards to Cliff Branch. Miami's Nat Moore returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown; Bob Griese completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Paul Warfield in the 3rd quarter; and Benny Malone rushed 23 yards for a touchdown in the 4th quarter to give the Dolphins the lead. The Dolphins attempted a comeback in the final seconds, but Mr. Griese's pass was intercepted by Oakland linebacker Phil Villapiano.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)--Billy Ocean (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): The Wild Boys--Duran Duran (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Forever Young--Alphaville

Basketball
NCAA
Georgeann Wells of West Virginia University became the first woman to dunk the ball during competition in a game at Elkins, West Virginia.

25 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Ryyd-joulu--Bat & Ryyd (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Finnish Singles Chart): Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic (2nd week at #1)

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

Edmonton's Top 10
1 Swing the Mood--Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
2 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
3 Back to Life--Soul II Soul
4 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
5 Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly
6 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
7 When I See You Smile--Bad English
8 Angelia--Richard Marx
9 Rhythm Nation--Janet Jackson
10 With Every Beat of My Heart--Taylor Dayne

Protest
Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu addressed a rally in Bucharest and was jeered by many in the crowd, an unprecedented event considering how tightly he held power. Securitate troops, known for their fierce loyalty to Mr. Ceausescu, fired on the crowd, drove them elsewhere, and killed up to 40.

Crime
Larry Mahoney, the driver of a pickup truck that had collided with a church bus near Carrollton, Kentucky in May 1988, was acquitted on 27 counts of murder, but was convicted on 27 counts of manslaughter. Mr. Mahoney's lawyers acknowledged that he had been drunk and driving in the the wrong direction on an interstate highway at the time of the crash, but blamed a faulty gas tank on the bus for the fire that took the heavy toll of life, including 24 children and 3 adults. 12 other people were burned in the crash.

20 years ago
1994

War
American and North Korean officials met at Panmunjom, in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, to discuss the December 17 North Korean downing of a U.S. reconnaissance helicopter that was flying over N.K. territory, resulting in the death of Chief Warrant Officer David Hilemon and the capture of CWO Bobby Hall.

Politics and government
All four Northern League ministers resigned from the cabinet of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Economics and finance
The day after the Mexican government of President Ernesto Zedillo had allowed the peso to fall 15% against the U.S. dollar, the government allowed the peso to float freely in currency markets, triggering a decline of an additional 15% in its value.

World events
The Mexican volcano Popocatépetl, dormant for 47 years, erupted gases and ash.

10 years ago
2004

War
In the single deadliest suicide attack on American soldiers in Iraq, a suicide bomber killed 22 at the forward operating base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul.