January 14, 2015

100 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Mark Goodson. U.S. television producer. Mr. Goodson, with partner Bill Todman, created and produced television game shows such as Winner Take All; What's My Line?; Beat the Clock; I've Got a Secret; The Price Is Right; Password; Match Game; and Family Feud. He died on December 18, 1992 at the age of 77.

75 years ago
1940

War
A Soviet submarine sank the Finnish armed yacht Aora en route to Stockholm. The U.S.S.R. protested to Sweden and Norway against their material and moral aid to Finland. Three Democratic United States Senators--Alben Barkley (Kentucky), Claude Pepper (Florida), and Robert Wagner (New York)--said that as a neutral nation, the United States was in the best position to halt the war.

Politics and government
Japanese Prime Minister Noriyuki Abe and his entire cabinet resigned. Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai accepted the imperial command to form a new cabinet.

Crime
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover announced the arrest of 18 members of the Christian Front for plotting to overthrow the government of the United States.

Diplomacy
American Jewish Congress President Stephen Wise said that the organization's prime goal was to seek the restoration of Jewish rights in Palestine.

Labour
Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw M. Landis declared 5 major league players and 87 minor league players free agents as a result of rules violations by the management of the Detroit Tigers.

Football
NFL
All-Star Game @ Gilmore Stadium, Los Angeles
Green Bay 16 NFL All-Stars 7

18,000 fans saw the 1939 champion Packers defeat the All-Stars. Steve Owen of the New York Giants coached the All-Stars.

70 years ago
1945

War
U.S. forces in Belgium captured Nadrin, Filly, Petite Mormont, Grande Mormont, Wibrin, Cheveoumont, Wiogne, and Dinez. German forces were cleared from Cobru. The Soviet Red Army advanced to within 65 miles of southeastern Germany as it gained up to 17 miles in south-central Poland. With the capture of Wetlet, British forces in Burma were only 30 miles north of Mandalay.

Labour
The U.S. National War Labor Board reported that it had closed approximately 362,000 voluntary and dispute cases affecting 24 million employees since its founding three years earlier.

Health
United States Army research revealed that jaundice was a disease transferred from person to person through flies, polluted water, and other means in much the same way as dysentery.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Mambo Italiano--Rosemary Clooney

Died on this date
Hubert Cecil Booth, 83. U.K. engineer. Mr. Booth invented one of the first powered vacuum cleaners in 1901, and also designed Ferris wheels, suspension bridges, and factories.

Music
Heitor Villa-Lobos' Concerto for Harp and Orchestra received its premiere performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra. The piece had been commissioned by harpist Nicanor Zapaleta, and he was the featured soloist in the premiere performance.

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Yeh, Yeh--Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames

Died on this date
Jeanette MacDonald, 61. U.S. actress and singer. Miss MacDonald was known for her starring roles in musical films such as The Love Parade (1929), and especially, for teaming with Nelson Eddy in such movies as Naughty Marietta (1935); Rose Marie (1936); Maytime (1937); and New Moon (1940). She later embarked on an operatic career as a soprano. Miss MacDonald died of heart failure.

40 years ago
1975

Politics and government
The 94th United States Congress convened in Washington. There were 291 Democrats and 144 Republicans in the House of Representatives, while the Senate was composed of 60 Democrats, 37 Republicans, 1 Conservative, and 1 independent.

U.S. President Gerald Ford nominated Edward Levi as U.S. Attorney General and William Coleman as Secretary of Transportation.

Crime
17-year-old heiress Lesley Whittle was kidnapped from her home in Highley, Shropshire, England by Donald Neilson, aka "the Black Panther."

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Do They Know it's Christmas?--Band Aid

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): The Stardust Memory--Kyōko Koizumi (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): ¿Cómo Pudiste Hacerme Esto a Mí?--Alaska y Dinarama

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Love Shack--The B-52's

#1 single in Switzerland: Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli (7th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 All Around the World--Lisa Stansfield (2nd week at #1)
2 Listen to Your Heart--Roxette
3 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
4 Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli
5 Leave a Light On--Belinda Carlisle
6 The Road to Hell (Part 2)--Chris Rea
7 Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly
8 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
9 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
10 Ride on Time--Black Box

Singles entering the chart were Do You Want Me Tonite by Bilgeri (#11); Losing My Mind by Liza Minnelli (#22); Room in Your Heart by Living in a Box (#27); and Der Bätmän bin i by Johann K. (#28).

Disasters
On the last day before huge cuts in VIA Rail service took effect, the Canadian, VIA’s transcontinental train, collided with a pickup truck and killed two people at a level crossing near Pembroke, Ontario.

About 100 people were killed when a ferry collided with another vessel in a river near Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Football
NFL
AFC Championship
Cleveland 21 @ Denver 37



NFC Championship
Los Angeles Rams 3 @ San Francisco 30



20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Zombie--The Cranberries (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Old Pop in an Oak--Rednex (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Zombie--The Cranberries

#1 single in France (SNEP): Can You Feel the Love Tonight--Elton John (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): I Will Survive--Hermes House Band (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Cotton Eye Joe--Rednex

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men (3rd week at #1)
2 Creep--TLC
3 Another Night--Real McCoy
4 Always--Bon Jovi
5 Here Comes the Hotstepper--Ini Kamoze
6 I Wanna Be Down--Brandy
7 Before I Let You Go--BLACKstreet
8 Take a Bow--Madonna
9 Tootsee Roll--69 Boyz
10 I'll Make Love to You--Boyz II Men

Singles entering the chart were Age Ain't Nothing But a Number by Aaliyah (#80); Big Poppa/Warning by the Notorious B.I.G. (#82); Down 4 Whateva by Nuttin' Nyce (#93); Whoomp! (There it Went) by Tag Team, Mickey, Minnie and Goofy (#97); and Nika by Vicious (#99). Down 4 Whateva was from the movie A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): On Bended Knee--Boyz II Men (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Alexander Gibson, 68. U.K. conductor. Sir Alexander was principal conductor and artistic director of the Scottish National Orchestra from 1959-1984, making numerous recordings and foreign tours. He was the creator and music director of the Scottish Opera (1962-1986), and made numerous appearances as a guest conductor. Sir Alexander died of complications from a heart attack.

10 years ago
2005

Space
The European Space Agency probe Huygens landed on Saturn's moon Titan and sent back pictures of Titan's surface. The probe had been launched from the Cassini spacecraft on December 25, 1994.

Abominations
U.S. Army Specialist Charles Graner Jr., the reputed ringleader of a band of rogue guards at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, was convicted at Fort Hood, Texas, of abusing Iraqi detainees. He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Economics and finance
The Belizean government of Prime Minister Said Musa announced its budget for 2005-2006. The budget included tax increases of 11% on real estate; 5% for financial institutions; 8% on tobacco; and 100% on rum. Protests, led by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize and the Belize Chamber of Commerce, began outside the National Assembly building in the capital city of Belmopan.