December 3, 2014

225 years ago
1789

Died on this date
Claude Joseph Vernet, 75. French artist. Mr. Vernet, one of several painters in the Vernet family and a relative of Sherlock Holmes, was known for his paintings of French seaports.

180 years ago
1834

Germanica
The Zollverein (German Customs Union) began the first regular census in Germany.

175 years ago
1839

Politics and government
U.S. President Martin Van Buren delivered his State of the Union message to Congress.

170 years ago
1844

Politics and government
U.S. President John Tyler delivered his State of the Union message to Congress.

160 years ago
1854

War
27 men--most of them gold miners--were killed in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, an uprising of gold miners against colonial troops and police in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

125 years ago
1889

Politics and government
U.S. President Benjamin Harrison delivered his State of the Union message to Congress.

120 years ago
1894

Died on this date
Robert Louis Stevenson, 44. U.K. author. Mr. Stevenson was one of the most famous writers of the 19th century. His most famous works were the novels Treasure Island (1883); Kidnapped (1886); and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). Mr. Stevenson died of an apparent cerebral hemorrhage.

Politics and government
U.S. President Grover Cleveland delivered his State of the Union message to Congress.

110 years ago
1904

Space
Himalia, the largest irregular satellite of Jupiter, was discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at the Lick Observatory in California.

75 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, 91. U.K. Royal Family member. Princess Louise Caroline Alberta was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1871 she married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne and heir to the Duke of Argyll. When the Marquess was appointed Governor General of Canada in 1878, Princess Louise became the first royal to be a Canadian viceregal consort. She returned to Britain in 1881, two years before her husband. The province of Alberta was named in her honour, as is Lake Louise in Alberta's Banff National Park.

70 years ago
1944

War
While steaming to Saint John, New Brunswick from Barbados, the Canadian merchant ship Cornwallis was sunk off Maine by the German submarine U-1230. Out of a crew of 48, only 5 survived. U.S. forces in Germany drove German forces from Inden, Lucherberg, Luchem, and Brandenburg on the Cologne plain. U.S. units crossed the Saar River and established a foothold on the east bank. Soviet troops in Hungary captured Miskolc and Satoraljauijhely, the last Nazi strongholds northeast of Budapest. U.S. forces in the Philippines turned back a Japanese tank-supported attack on the roadblock outside Limon on Leyte Island.

Protest
21 people were killed and 140 wounded when members of EAM (National Liberation Front) staged a demonstration in Athens contrary to Greek government orders.

Oil
The Iranian parliament approved a bill prohibiting any official from negotiating or signing any oil agreement with a foreign nation.

Football
NFL
Washington (6-2-1) 13 @ New York (7-1-1) 16
Brooklyn (0-10) 0 @ Philadelphia (6-1-2) 34
Chicago Bears (6-3-1) 49 Card-Pitt (0-10) 7 @ Pittsburgh
Boston (2-8) 7 @ Detroit (6-3-1) 38

The merger of the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers officially ended upon the completion of the 1944 season. The team, officially known as Card-Pitt but nicknamed the "Carpets," finished fifth and last in the Western Division. The teams had officially merged on April 21, 1944, but now returned to being separate franchises.

60 years ago
1954

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Let's Have Another Party--Winifred Atwell

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Leader of the Pack--The Shangri-Las

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Little Red Rooster--The Rolling Stones

Theatre
Incident at Vichy, written by Arthur Miller and directed by Harold Clurman, opened at the ANTA Washington Square Theatre on Broadway in New York City. The cast included Hal Holbrook, David Wayne, Joseph Wiseman, Tony LoBianco, Graham Jarvis, and Will Lee.

Died on this date
Bobby Marshman, 28. U.S. auto racing driver. Mr. Marshman participated in 49 races in the United States Auto Club Championship Car series from 1961-1964, winning at Phoenix in 1962. He finished 7th in the 1961 Indianapolis 500 and was named co-Rookie of the Year with Parnelli Jones. Mr. Marshman led the 1964 Indianapolis 500 for more than 30 laps before being forced off the track to avoid hitting a slower driver, damaging his car to the extent of ending his race. Mr. Marshman died six days after suffering second- and third-degree burns in a crash at the one-mile oval in Phoenix while testing tires.

Music
Nat King Cole concluded three days of recording sessions at Capitol Studios in Hollywood for his album L-O-V-E. The sessions proved to be Mr. Cole's last, as he entered hospital three days later, and died of lung cancer on February 15, 1965.

Protest
Police arrested some 800 students at the University of California at Berkeley who had stormed the administration building the previous day and staged a large sit-in in protest of the UC Regents' decision to forbid protests on university property.

30 years ago
1984

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): I Just Called to Say I Love You--Stevie Wonder (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Sevilla--Miguel Bosé

Disasters
A cloud of deadly poison gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killing over 4,000 people.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1203.html#article

25 years ago
1989

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

#1 single in Switzerland: Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli

Died on this date
Connie B. Gay, 75. U.S. music executive. Mr. Gay was a government bureaucrat before beginning a career as a radio broadcaster in 1941. He began hosting the music program Town and Country Time in Arlington, Virginia in 1946, and the show was eventually syndicated nationally. Mr. Gay was a concert promoter, talent scout, and manager, and co-founded the Country Music Association in 1958, serving as its first president. He was credited with coining the term "country music" to refer to what was previously known as "hillbilly music," and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980. Mr. Gay died of cancer.

Fernando Martín Espina, 27. Spanish basketball player. Mr. Martin, a centre, was a talented all-around athlete and was considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of Spanish basketball. He played with Real Madrid from 1981-86 and 1987-89. In the 1986-87 season, Mr. Martin played with the Portland Trail Blazers, becoming the first Spanish player to play in the National Basketball Association. He was killed in a car accident.

Diplomacy
At a joint news conference on board the Soviet cruise ship Maxim Gorky in Marsaxlokk Bay near the island of Malta, U.S. President George Bush and U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev concluded their summit with an announcement that the Cold War was virtually over.

Politics and government
The previous day’s revelations about the luxurious lifestyles and thefts of the leaders of East Germany’s Communist leaders led to the resignation of the entire leadership of the party, including General Secretary Egon Krenz, Premier Hans Modrow, the rest of the Politburo, and the entire Central Committee. Mr. Krenz remained the head of state and Mr. Modrow head of government.

Czechoslovakian Premier Ladislav Adamec unveiled a new cabinet, but the opposition Civic Forum rejected it because 16 of the 21 positions were still to be filled by Communists.

Philippine Vice-President Salvador Laurel announced his support for the military coup attempt against President Corazon Aquino, and urged Mrs. Aquino to resign.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Tomorrow--Silverchair (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: The Mountain of King--Digital boy & Asia (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Hypnose--Scorpia (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Cotton-Eyed Joe--Rednex (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): King of Your Heart--Good Shape (2nd week at #1)

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

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Dromen zijn bedrog--Marco Borsato (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Let Me Be Your Fantasy--Baby D (2nd 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 I'll Make Love to You--Boyz II Men
5 Always--Bon Jovi
6 Secret--Madonna
7 All I Wanna Do--Sheryl Crow
8 Creep--TLC
9 I Wanna Be Down--Brandy
10 You Want This/'70s Love Groove--Janet Jackson

Singles entering the chart were You Don't Know How it Feels by Tom Petty (#69); Do You See by Warren G (#73); Missing You by Steve Perry (#87); and I Miss You by N2U (#91).

U.S.A. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men
2 Here Comes the Hotstepper--Ini Kamoze
3 I'll Make Love to You--Boyz II Men
4 Another Night--Real McCoy
5 Secret--Madonna
6 All I Wanna Do--Sheryl Crow
7 Always--Bon Jovi
8 I'm the Only One--Melissa Etheridge
9 I Wanna Be Down--Brandy
10 Never Lie--Immature

Singles entering the chart were I Belong to You by Toni Braxton (#50) and You Don't Know How it Feels by Tom Petty (#86). I Belong to You had originally been released as the B-side of How Many Ways, currently charting at #36.

War
United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali acknowledged that the United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization were preparing for possible withdrawal of their forces from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Politics and government
Taiwan held the first full local elections. James Soong was elected as the first and only direct elected Governor of Taiwan; Chen Shui-bian became the first direct elected Mayor of Taipei; and Wu Den-yih became the first directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.

10 years ago
2004

Died on this date
Robert Dhéry, 83. French actor, director, and screenwriter. Mr. Dhéry, born Robert Fourrey, had a stage and screen career spanning more than 45 years.