December 5, 2014

175 years ago
1839

Born on this date
George Armstrong Custer. U.S. military officer. Brevet Major General Custer was a cavalry commander with the Union Army in the U.S. Civil War and the United States Army in wars against the Indians. He was best remembered for the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana on June 25, 1876, when he and his men were routed by Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians. Gen. Custer was among those killed; he was 36.

120 years ago
1894

Born on this date
C.R. Swart. Governor-General of South Africa, 1959-1961. 1st State President of South Africa, 1961-1967. Charles Robberts "Blackie" Swart represented Ladybrand in the S.A. House of Assembly (1923-1938) before becoming leader of the National Party in the Orange Free State and Member of Parliament for Winburg in 1939. He was known as a Fascist sympathizer during World War II, and supported South African republicanism. Mr. Swart held several cabinet posts, including Minister of Justice, after the National Party came to power in 1948, and was appointed Governor General in 1959. He refused to take the oath to Queen Elizabeth II or wear the ceremonial uniform. When South Africa became a republic on May 31, 1961, Mr. Swart took office as State President, the ceremonial head of state. He retired six years later, a year before the end of his term, and died on July 16, 1982 at the age of 87.

100 years ago
1914

Football
CRU
Grey Cup @ Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Toronto Argonauts 14 University of Toronto 2

Glad Murphy returned Red Mackenzie's fumble 15 yards for a touchdown in the first minute of the game to provide the Argonauts will all the points they needed as they defeated U of T before 10,500 fans in what might have been the dullest Grey Cup ever played. Jack O'Connor converted the TD to give the Argonauts a 6-0 lead. In the 2nd quarter, Mr. Stratton of U of T made an errant lateral, and Freddie Mills returned it for the game's second touchdown. Mr. O'Connor missed the convert, but kicked a 25-yard field goal several minutes later to give the Argonauts a 14-0 halftime lead. Mr. Mackenzie punted for a single in the 3rd quarter. U of T threatened to score a touchdown in the 4th quarter, but fumbled into the Argonaut end zone, and L. Saunders scored a single on a rouge to make it 14-2.

90 years ago
1924

Hockey
NHL
Hamilton 10 @ Toronto 5
Red Green scored 5 goals to lead the Tigers over the St. Patricks at Mutual Street Arena.

80 years ago
1934

War
Italian troops attacked Wal Wal in Abyssinia, taking four days to capture the city.

75 years ago
1939

Economics and finance
The Canadian Wartime Prices and Trade Board was given more control over prices and supply by the government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King, with investigative, price-fixing and licensing powers.

70 years ago
1944

War
The 1st Canadian Infantry Division launched an attack on San Leonardo, Italy, but were driven back by a German counterattack. U.S. units in Germany established another bridgehead on the east bank of the Saar River south of Saarlautern. The Soviet drive in western Hungary reached the southern shore of Lake Balaton. British tanks and Greek mountain troops dispersed bands of armed EAS (National Liberation Front militia) members laying siege to police barracks in Athens. Chinese troops rushed to the province of Kwiechow to regain the town of Pachai from Japanese forces. U.S. forces in the Philippines crossed the Palanas River about 10 miles south of Ormeo on Leyte Island.

Politics and government
U.S. Secretary of State Edward Stettinius maintained that the composition of the Italian government was strictly an Italian matter.

Economics and finance
The U.S. War Production Board announced the release of cellophane for packaging of small articles such as cigarettes, chewing gum, and bakery products.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill freezing the Social Security tax at its present level of 1% on both worker and employer.

50 years ago
1964

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Ain't That Loving You Baby/Ask Me--Elvis Presley (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Donna, Donna--Claude François

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): La mia festa--Richard Anthony (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Memphis--Johnny Rivers; Bernd Spier (7th week at #1)

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

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Ringo--Lorne Greene

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 She's Not There--The Zombies
2 Ringo--Lorne Greene
3 Mr. Lonely--Bobby Vinton
4 Leader of the Pack--The Shangri-Las
5 You Really Got Me--The Kinks
6 Baby Love--The Supremes
7 Come a Little Bit Closer--Jay and the Americans
8 Time is on My Side--The Rolling Stones
9 Come See About Me--The Supremes
10 Ask Me--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were I Feel Fine (#47)/She's a Woman (#68) by the Beatles; Wild One by Martha and the Vandellas (#74); Boom Boom by the Animals (#78); (Roses are Red) My Love by the "You Know Who" Group! (#79); I Want You to Have Everything by Lee Rogers (#90); (There’ll Come A Day When) Ev'ry Little Bit Hurts (#92)/Pretend You Don't See Her (#96) by Bobby Vee; Leader of the Laundromat by the Detergents (#94); I'm Gonna Love You Too by the Hullaballoos (#98); and Smile by Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#99).

On television tonight
The Outer Limits, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Keeper of the Purple Twilight, starring Warren Stevens, Robert Webber, Gail Kobe, and Edward Platt

40 years ago
1974

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Gonna Make You a Star--David Essex (3rd week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
The Montreal Canadiens sold veteran right wing Claude Larose to the St. Louis Blues. Mr. Larose was in his 13th season in the National Hockey League--most of them spent with the Canadiens--but had played in just 8 games with Montreal in 1974-75, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists.

Football
WFL
World Bowl @ Legion Field, Birmingham
Florida 21 @ Birmingham 22



30 years ago
1984

At the movies
Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy, opened in theatres.

Died on this date
Cecil Murray Harden, 90. U.S. politician. Mrs. Harden, a Republican, represented Indiana's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949-1959, serving on various committees. She died two weeks after her 90th birthday.

25 years ago
1989

Scandal
Former East German leader Erich Honecker and some former aides were put under house arrest, three days after a committee reported to parliament about the extent of Mr. Honecker’s lavish lifestyle and billions of dollars kept in Swiss bank accounts.

Politics and government
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher survived a challenge to her leadership of the Conservative Party, defeating MP Sir Anthony Meyer 314-33 with 27 abstentions or spoiled ballots. Mrs. Thatcher was beginning to face opposition within her own party because of her anti-Europe stand.

20 years ago
1994

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Cotton Eye Joe--Rednex (9th week at #1)

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

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Always--Bon Jovi
2 Secret--Madonna
3 Out of Tears--Rolling Stones
4 Get Over It--Eagles
5 What's the Frequency, Kenneth--R.E.M.
6 Insensitive--Jann Arden
7 Dance Naked--John Mellencamp
8 Living in Danger--Ace of Base
9 You Don't Know How it Feels--Tom Petty
10 About a Girl--Nirvana

Singles entering the chart were Bang and Blame by R.E.M. (#79); Here Comes the Hotstepper by Isi Kamoze (#85); Greasy Jungle by the Tragically Hip (#86); Tremor Chest by Pearl Jam (#87); 54-46 by One (#89); Sympathy for the Devil by Guns N' Roses (#90); and I'm Not by Sass Jordan (#91).

Died on this date
Harry Horner, 84. Bohemian-born U.S. director, producer, and production designer. Mr. Horner began his career in Vienna as a stage manager working with director Max Reinhardt, and followed Mr. Reinhardt to the United States in the 1930s. He soon moved into art, costume, and lighting direction in both theatre and cinema. Mr. Horner won Academy Awards for Art Direction-Set Decoration (Black-and-White) for The Heiress (1949) and The Hustler (1961), and was nominated for an Oscar for Art Direction-Set Decoration for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). Mr. Horner died of pneumonia. He was the father of film composer James Horner.

Derrell Robertson, 27. U.S. football player. Mr. Robertson was a defensive end who played with Mississippi State University in 1988 and 1989. He was with the Las Vegas Posse of the Canadian Football League in 1994, but was killed in a car accident a month after the end of the season. When the Posse folded shortly after, a dispersal draft of their players was held in April 1995. The Ottawa Rough Riders drafted Mr. Robertson, but no one with the Rough Riders or the CFL was aware of his death until the Rough Riders were unsuccessful in finding him.

Politics and government
Newt Gingrich (Georgia) was named by Republican Party members of the U.S. House of Representatives as their candidate for Speaker of the House in the 104th Congress, to convene in January 1995. The Republicans had won a majority of seats in the November 1994 elections, guaranteeing that Mr. Gingrich would be elected to the post. Dick Armey (Texas) was named as the House Majority Leader, and Tom DeLay was elected majority whip.

10 years ago
2004

Abominations
The Civil Partnership Act went into effect in the United Kingdom, and the first civil partnership was registered.