December 12, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Robb Findlay!

130 years ago
1885

Transportation
The first Canadian Pacific Railway freight train, loaded with Manitoba wheat, left Portage La Prairie for Montréal.

110 years ago
1905

Politics and government
The Progressive Party won the Portuguese general election, capturing 109 seats--an increase of 66 from before the election--in the 148-seat Parliament. The Regeneration Party dropped from 100 seats to 32. The Liberal Regenerator Party won 3 seats--an increase of 2--and 4 independents were elected.

10 years ago
1915

Born on this date
Frank Sinatra. U.S. singer and actor. Mr. Sinatra, a native of Hoboken, New Jersey, was one of the most popular entertainment figures of the 20th century. He achieved success as a vocalist with the big bands of Harry James and Tommy Dorsey and then on his own, with a string of hits from 1939 through the 1960s. Mr. Sinatra also had a successful career as a movie actor, and won the Academy Award for his supporting performance in From Here to Eternity (1953). He died on May 14, 1998 at the age of 82.

Politics and government
Chinese President Yuan Shikai announced his intention to reinstate the monarchy and proclaim himself Emperor of China.

90 years ago
1925

Asiatica
The Majlis of Iran voted to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Iran, starting the Pahlavi dynasty.

80 years ago
1935

Abominations
The Lebensborn Project, a Nazi reproduction program, was founded by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler.

75 years ago
1940

Died on this date
Charles Pace, 71. U.S. educator. Mr. Pace founded Pace Institute in New York and business schools in other American cities.

Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian, 58. U.K. politician and diplomat. Mr. Kerr, a Liberal, served in the colonial government of South Africa from 1905-1910 before entering the House of Lords in 1930 and serving as Undersecretary of State for India from 1931-1932 in the National Government of Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald. Lord Lothian was an advocate of appeasement of Germany in the 1930s, but changed his mind in 1939. He was appointed British Ambassador to the United States in September 1939, and died in Washington after an illness for which he refused treatment because of his Christian Science beliefs.

War
Approximately 70 people were killed in the Marples Hotel, Fitzalan Square, Sheffield, England as a result of a German air raid.

Diplomacy
Yugoslavian Foreign Minister Alexander Cincar-Markovitch and Hungarian Foreign Minister Count Stephen Csaky signed a treaty of “constant peace and perpetual friendship” in Belgrade.

Politics and government
General J.B.M. Hertzog, former antiwar Prime Minister of South Africa, and former Finance Minister N.C. Havenga resigned from Parliament because of the Nationalist Party's “lack of confidence” in them.

Three Uruguayan cabinet ministers and Herrerista Party members resigned in protest on the eve of the signing of the Argentine-Uruguayan defense pact.

The executive committee of Chile’s Popular Front refused to oust the Communist Party as recommended by the Socialist Party.

Defense
The U.S.A. and Ecuador signed a four-year agreement under which the U.S. would furnish a military aviation and naval commission to advise the Ecuadorian defense ministry. The United States Army's 2nd Armored Division, composed of 10,000 men in 1,102 vehicles, including 400 tanks, travelled 90 miles from Fort Benning, Georgia to Blakely and Abbeville in the first cross-country test of a full armoured division in the Western Hemisphere. U.S. education commissioner John Studebaker announced a $9-million program to train 25,000 students as defense industry technicians in 65 engineering institutions.

Law
Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho ordered that agricultural workers on communal farms be given full title to the lands they tilled.

Labour
U.S. Representative Leland Ford (Republican--California) charged that some Congress of Industrial Organizations leaders had "done everything they possibly could do disturb, disrupt, and destroy the defense program."

I.A. Capizzi, chief counsel for Ford Motor Company, said that the company would not consent to a bargaining election among the 100,000 production workers because the Congress of Industrial Organizations-United Auto Workers did not represent even a small portion of Ford employees.

70 years ago
1945

Married on this date
Tommy Manville, 51, and Georgina Campbell, 27, were wed in Larchmont, New York. It was his eighth marriage for Mr. Manville, a New York socialite. and the first for the U.K.-born Miss Campbell.

War
Chinese nationalist troops moved into the Manchurian cities of Mukden and Changchun under an agreement with the U.S.S.R.

World events
Dutch fascist leader Anton Mussert was convicted of treason and sentenced to death in the Netherlands. Lazlo Budinszy, Justice Minister in the cabinet of Hungarian Prme Minister Ferenc Szálasi from 1944-1945, was sentenced to death as a war criminal.

Diplomacy
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution urging U.S. aid in opening Palestine to the Jews.

Iranian Prime Minister Hakimi told parliament that he planned to go to Moscow soon to discuss the revolt in Azerbaijan.

Economics and finance
U.S. Attorney General Tom Clark opened a new drive to smash the nationwide black market in clothing, textiles, and allied products.

U.S. President Harry Truman adopted a housing program prepared by Reconversion Director John Snyder, and appointed Wilson Wyatt as housing expeditor.

Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt said that 168 Venezuelan millionaires would be tried and deprived of their property if it were found that they had obtained it through “dictatorial” means.

Baseball
Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler voted with National League club owners against the American League not to restrict night games.

60 years ago
1955

Weather
Saskatchewan was hit by a terrible three-day blizzard. Moose Jaw radio station CHAB received the J.J. Gillin trophy for its emergency services during the storm.

50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): The Carnival is Over--The Seekers (2nd week at #1)

Space
The launch of Gemini 6A, with Command Pilot Wally Schirra and Pilot Tom Stafford, from Cape Kennedy, Florida, was aborted when the Titan II rocket failed to lift off after ignition had been achieved. The cause of the failure was a faulty plug. Mr. Schirra was supposed to pull the D-ring to eject the crew, but remained calm and didn't pull the ring, thus saving the mission for a launch three days later.



Football
NFL
New York (7-6) 27 @ Washington (5-8) 10
Green Bay (10-3) 42 @ Baltimore (9-3-1) 27
Philadelphia (5-8) 47 @ Pittsburgh (2-11) 13
Minnesota (6-7) 29 @ Detroit (5-7-1) 7
San Francisco (7-6) 20 @ Chicago (9-4) 61
St. Louis (5-8) 13 @ Dallas (6-7) 27
Cleveland (10-3) 7 @ Los Angeles (4-9) 42

Paul Hornung scored 5 touchdowns for the Packers as they defeated the Colts at Memorial Stadium, but rookie halfback Gale Sayers bettered that, scoring 6 touchdowns to lead the Bears over the 49ers at Wrigley Field. Mr. Sayers amassed 336 combined yards--113 rushing, 89 on pass receptions, and 134 on punt returns.



AFL
Kansas City (6-5-2) 25 @ Buffalo (10-2-1) 34
San Diego (8-2-3) 37 @ Houston (4-9) 26
Boston (3-8-2) 28 @ Denver (4-9) 20
New York (4-8-1) 14 @ Oakland (8-4-1) 24

Kansas City running back Mack Lee Hill tore a ligament in his right knee during the Chiefs' loss to the Bills at War Memorial Stadium, and the injury had deadly consequences when he died on the operating table two days later.

40 years ago
1975

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Wasted Days and Wasted Nights--Freddy Fender (11th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Lady Bump--Penny McLean (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Dolannes-Melodie--Jean-Claude Borelly (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Paloma Blanca--George Baker Selection (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Julie Wera, 73. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Wera was a third baseman with the New York Yankees in 1927 and 1929, batting .278 with 1 home run and 10 runs batted in in 43 games.

Music
This blogger was among those in attendance at a performance of Handel's Messiah, conducted by Roy Menagh, at the Katimavik Room of the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at C.W. Post College in Greenvale, New York. Among the songs they performed was Santa Claus is Coming to Town, which wasn't released until 10 years later, when it was the B-side of My Hometown.

Terrorism
A six-day siege in London ended peacefully after four Irish Republican Army gunmen freed their two hostages and gave themselves up to police.

Crime
Sara Jane Moore pleaded guilty to an assassination attempt on U.S. President Gerald R. Ford in San Francisco on September 22, 1975.

Disasters
A Toronto Transit Commission bus collided with a commuter train at a level crossing, killing 9 and injuring 20 in the worst accident in TTC history.

Baseball
The World Series champion Cincinnati Reds were one of the busiest teams making deals at the major league winter meetings; they traded shortstop Darrel Chaney to the Atlanta Braves for first baseman-outfielder Mike Lum; traded pitcher Clay Kirby to the Montreal Expos for third baseman-left fielder Bob Bailey; and traded relief pitcher Clay Carroll to the Chicago White Sox for catcher Jeff Sovern and pitcher Rich Hinton.

The White Sox were also busy, trading outfielder Ken Henderson and pitchers Dick Ruthven and Danny Osborn to the Braves for left fielder Ralph Garr and shortstop Larvell Blanks, and then trading Mr. Blanks to the Cleveland Indians for second baseman Jack Brohamer. The White Sox also traded infielder Lee Richard to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Buddy Bradford and pitcher Greg Terlecky. The Braves, meanwhile, traded relief pitcher Tom House to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Rogelio Moret.

The New York Mets traded right fielder Rusty Staub and pitcher Bill Laxton to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Mickey Lolich and outfielder Billy Baldwin. The Mets also traded outfielder Gene Clines to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Joe Lovitto.

The Houston Astros traded second baseman Tommy Helms to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later; infielder Art Howe was sent to the Astros on January 6, 1976 to complete the deal. The Astros also assigned pitchers Luis Sanchez and Carlos Alfonso to the Indianapolis Indians of the AAA American Association to complete the October 24 deal in which the Indians' parent club, the Cincinnati Reds, had traded pitcher Joaquin Andujar to Houston for two players to be named later.

The Montreal Expos purchased infielder Rodney Scott from the Kansas City Royals.

The Boston Red Sox assigned pitcher Craig Skok to the Sacramento Solons of the AAA Pacific Coast League to complete the November 17 deal in which the Solons' parent club, the Texas Rangers, had traded pitcher Ferguson Jenkins to Boston for outfielder Juan Beniquez, pitcher Steve Barr, cash, and a player to be named later.

30 years ago
1985

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CITV
Tonight’s episode: Her Pilgrim Soul, starring Kristoffer Tabori, Gary Cole, and Anne Twomey; I of Newton, starring Sherman Hemsley and Ron Glass

Died on this date
Anne Baxter, 62. U.S. actress. Miss Baxter won the Academy Award for her supporting performance in The Razor’s Edge (1946) and was nominated for an Oscar for her supporting performance in All About Eve (1950). She died eight days after suffering a brain aneurysm.

Disasters
All 256 people aboard a chartered DC-8 jetliner died when it crashed after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland, where it had made a refuelling stop before resuming its flight to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. All 248 passengers were American soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division who were returning from Egypt, where they had served with the Multinational Force and Observers monitoring compliance with the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. The operator of the charter, Arrow Air, had been fined in 1984 by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for poor performance. The toll was the highest in any plane crash in Canada or for any crash involving the U.S. military. The accident brought the death toll for air crashes in 1985 to 1,948 the highest ever for a single year.

Politics and government
Robert Bourassa was sworn in as Premier of Québec for the second time, replacing Pierre-Marc Johnson. Mr. Bourassa had been Premier from May 12, 1970 - November 25, 1976.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): No Coke--Dr. Alban (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight’s episode: A Very Cutlip Christmas

Diplomacy
U.S. President George Bush announced that the United States would join Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia and other countries in providing help to the U.S.S.R. to ease the Soviet food crisis. The U.S. would provide up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to allow the Soviets to buy U.S. food. Mr. Bush also promised emergency shipments of food and medical supplies. In acting, Mr. Bush waived a legal requirement barring normal trade with countries not having market economies or unrestricted emigration. He also announced that he would hold a summit with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in February 1991.

Politics and government
Polish President-elect Lech Walesa resigned as chairman of the Solidarity trade union movement. The man he defeated in the runoff presidential election, Polish-Canadian businessman Stanislaw Tyminski, returned to Canada after posting a bond of $100,000 to assure his return to face a government charge that he had slandered Premier Tadeusz Mazowiecki during the campaign. Mr. Tyminski vowed to continue his political fight "even from a jail cell," and pledged to appeal the runoff results in court, contending that Mr. Walesa’s supporters had intimidated voters. Wojciech Jaruzelski, Poland’s outgoing President, apologized for "each harm, pain and injustice" suffered by Poles during his nine years in office.

Education
U.S. Education Secretary Laura Cavazos resigned. News reports said that President George Bush had felt that Ms. Cavazos, the first Hispanic-American cabinet member, had not been active enough in developing a national education agenda.

Society
The U.S. Education Department announced that it would prohibit institutions receiving federal funds from awarding scholarships on the basis of race. Grants given on the basis of financial need would not be affected.

20 years ago
1995

Radio
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced that Radio Canada International service was to end on March 31, 1996; funding was later found to continue it.

Television
NBC paid the largest sum in history for the television rights to a series of sporting events: $2.3 billion for the United States rights to the 2004, 2006 and 2008 Olympics even before the sites of those games (Athens; Turin, Italy; and Beijing) had been determined.

Terrorism
A car bomb in Algiers killed 15 people.