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.