December 30, 2015

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Gladys Lucy Pomazongo Levano!

190 years ago
1825

Born on this date
Samuel Newitt Wood. U.S. politician. Mr. Wood, a member of the Liberty Party, and later the Republican Party, held various offices in state politics in Kansas. He advocated that his hometown of Woodsdale be made the seat of Stevens County instead of rival Hugoton, and the dispute led to his assassination by James Brennen outside the courthouse in Hugoton. Mr. Brennen was never prosecuted. Mr. Wood died on June 23, 1891 at the age of 65.

Diplomacy
The Treaty of St. Louis between the United States and the Shawnee Nation was proclaimed, having been signed on November 7, 1825 between William Clark on behalf of the United States and delegates from the Shawnee Nation.

150 years ago
1865

Born on this date
Rudyard Kipling. Indian-born U.K. author. Mr. Kipling was probably the best-known literary representative of British imperialism in the late 19th century. His works included The Jungle Book (1894); Kim (1901); and numerous short stories and poems. Mr. Kipling was awarded the 1907 Nobel Prize in Literature "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author." Mr. Kipling died on January 18, 1936, 19 days after his 70th birthday.

125 years ago
1890

Born on this date
Adolfo Ruiz Cortines. 47th President of Mexico, 1952-1958. Mr. Ruiz, a member of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) (Institutional Revolutionary Party), served as Governor of Veracruz from 1944-1948, and was elected President in 1952. Mr. Ruiz's presidency included economic, educational, and health reforms, and women were allowed to vote in presidential elections. Mr. Ruiz died on December 3, 1973, 27 days before his 83rd birthday.

War
The day after the Wounded Knee Massacre, the Drexel Mission Fight took place in South Dakota between the 7th U.S. Cavalry, aided by the 9th Cavalry, and Lakota warriors.

110 years ago
1905

Died on this date
Frank Steunenberg, 44. U.S. politician. Mr. Steunenberg, a candidate representing both the Democratic and Populist parties, was Governor of Idaho from 1897-1901. He was assassinated outside his home in Caldwell, Idaho by a bomb rigged to the side gate.

90 years ago
1925

At the movies
Ben-Hur, directed by Fred Niblo, and starring Ramon Novarro and Francis X. Bushman, opened in theatres.



75 years ago
1940

At the movies
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery, received a sneak preview screening in New Rochelle, New York, with the director in attendance.



Died on this date
C. Harold Wills, 62. U.S. automotive engineer and executive. Mr. Wills began working with Henry Ford in 1899, and was the chief contributor to the design of the Model T. He left Ford Motor Company in 1919, and founded and led the automotive firm Wills Sainte Claire, which was in business from 1921-1927. Mr. Wills died shortly after suffering a stroke.

War
Associated Press estimated the total of dead, wounded, and missing for the first 15 months of the European war at 3-4 million.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was reported by the White House to be "tremendously pleased" by the response to his radio address the night before, urging complete aid to the United Kingdom. U.S. Senator D. Worth Clark (Democrat--Idaho) said that Mr. Roosevelt's address was "a trick speech, calculated to lead the American people into war and ruin." Sen. Burton K. Wheeler (Democrat--Montana) criticized "warmongers," opposed aid to Britain that might involve the United States in War, and offered an eight-point peace program.

Politics and government
Representative Ramon Vina of the National Herrerista Party, which opposed the establishment of Pan-American bases in Uruguay, tried to shoot Socialist Rep. Emilio Frugoni on the floor of the Chamber of Representatives in Montevideo during a debate on the bases.

The National Student Federation of America voted to withdraw from the American Youth Congress, which it had helped to found, because of the AYC's alleged radical tendencies.

Transportation
California’s first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway connecting Los Angeles and Pasadena, was officially opened.

70 years ago
1945

War
At the trial of Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, the United States 3rd Army headquarters released German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler's "political testament," which named Admiral Karl Doenitz head of the German state, and predicted that Nazism would be reborn. Hiroshima Mayor Shichiro Kihara told Allied reporters that Americans should rebuild the city because "we were sacrificed to end the war;" he listed casualties at 139,000 killed out of a population of 310,000.

Diplomacy
League of Nations acting Secretary-General Sean Lester issued that body's final report and stated that the United Nations was in many respects a continuation of the League.

Politics and government
U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes said that Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan General Douglas MacArthur's authority in Japan would not be obstructed in any way by the Far Eastern Commission.

The Argentinian Radical Party named Dr. Jose Tamborini as its presidential candidate, and got pledges of support from the Socialists, Communists, and Progressive Democrats.

Defense
Republic Aviation Corporation revealed development of a four-engine flying photographic laboratory, named the XF-12, for the U.S. Air Technical Service.

Economics and finance
The Egyptian cabinet of Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nukrashi Pasha approved a boycott of goods produced by Zionists in Palestine.

60 years ago
1955

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Christmas Alphabet--Dickie Valentine (3rd week at #1)

At the movies
The Square Jungle, directed by Jerry Hopper, and starring Tony Curtis, Pat Crowley, and Ernest Borgnine, received its premiere screening in New York City.





50 years ago
1965

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

Politics and government
Ferdinand Marcos took office as President of the Philippines.

30 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Species Deceases (EP)--Midnight Oil (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Koi ni Ochite: Fall in Love--Akiko Kobayashi (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Part-Time Lover--Stevie Wonder (9th week at #1)

Economics and finance
The United States Commerce Department reported that the index of leading economic indicators had increased 0.1% in November. The administration of President Ronald Reagan predicted that real growth in the U.S. economy would be 4% in 1986.

25 years ago
1990

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Sadeness Part I--Enigma (3rd week at #1)

Diplomacy
In response to demands and threats from U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev, the Moldavian parliament said that it would review a law that made Moldavian the republic’s official language, and also agreed not to form a special defense force in Moldavia.

20 years ago
1995

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (11th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (5th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Ademnood--Linda, Roos & Jessica (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Earth Song--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 One Sweet Day--Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (5th week at #1)
2 Exhale (Shoop Shoop)--Whitney Houston
3 Hey Lover--LL Cool J
4 Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V.
5 Diggin' on You--TLC
6 Fantasy--Mariah Carey
7 Before You Walk Out of My Life/Like This and Like That--Monica
8 Breakfast at Tiffany's--Deep Blue Something
9 Name--Goo Goo Dolls
10 Free as a Bird--The Beatles

Singles entering the chart were Free as a Bird; Sittin' Up in My Room by Brandy (#46); Fu-Gee-La by the Fugees (#89); Cold World by Genius/GZA featuring Inspektah Deck (#97); and You Put a Move on My Heart by Quincy Jones introducing Tamia (#98). Sittin' Up in My Room was from the movie Waiting to Exhale (1995).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 One Sweet Day--Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (4th week at #1)
2 Exhale (Shoop Shoop)--Whitney Houston
3 Hey Lover--LL Cool J
4 Diggin' on You--TLC
5 Name--Goo Goo Dolls
6 You'll See--Madonna
7 Fantasy--Mariah Carey
8 Before You Walk Out of My Life/Like This and Like That--Monica
9 Breakfast at Tiffany's--Deep Blue Something
10 Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V.

Singles entering the chart were Just Tah Let U Know by Eazy-E (#54) and I Got ID/Long Road by Pearl Jam (#55).

Died on this date
Ralph Flanagan, 81. U.S. musician. Mr. Flanagan, born Ralph Flenniken, was a pianist who became an arranger for a number of big bands and led a band of his own in the late 1940s and 1950s, having hit singles with songs such as Hot Toddy and Singing Winds.

Football
NFL
AFC Wild Card Playoff
Miami 22 @ Buffalo 37



NFC Wild Card Playoff
Detroit 37 @ Philadelphia 58



10 years ago
2005

Died on this date
Rona Jaffe, 73. U.S. author. Miss Jaffe was best known for her novels The Best of Everything (1958) and Mazes and Monsters (1981), and her articles in Cosmopolitan magazine in the late 1960s. She eventually settled in London, where she died of cancer.

Weather
Tropical Storm Zeta formed in the open Atlantic Ocean, tying the record for the latest tropical cyclone ever to form in the North Atlantic basin.