January 13, 2016

420 years ago
1596

Born on this date
Jan van Goyen. Dutch artist. Mr. van Goyen was a landscape painter who produced more than 1,200 paintings. He died on April 27, 1656 at the age of 60.

325 years ago
1691

Died on this date
George Fox, 66. English religious leader. Mr. Fox was a dissenter from the Church of England who founded the Religious Society of Friends, popularly known as Quakers, in the late 1640s. His beliefs, such as the equality of women in being qualified for preaching, resulted in persecution and imprisonment on several occasions.

75 years ago
1941

Died on this date
James Joyce, 58. Irish drunkard. Mr. Joyce was known for his incomprehensible novels Ulysses (1922) and Finnegans Wake (1939), the former of which, according to noted Canadian educator George Milner, seemed to be a story about a drunk who couldn’t find his way home.

War
General Ugo Cavallero was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Italian forces in Albania.

Defense
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau said that the United Kingdom was ready to negotiate sales of direct British investments in the United States to pay for war purchases until the Lend-Lease bill was passed by the United States Congress. U.S. Representative Kenneth Simpson (Republican--New York) introduced a substitute Lend-Lease bill, placing a two-year limit on presidential powers. A meeting of 20,000 Communists and sympathizers in New York passed a resolution denouncing Lend-Lease.

Politics and government
Matthew Neely, sworn in as Governor of West Virginia in a secret midnight ceremony, appointed Joseph Rosier to fill his unexpired term in the United States Senate.

Labour
Striking Congress of Industrial Organizations-United Auto Workers clashed with non-strikers at the Wilcox-Rich plant of Eaton Manufacturing Company in Saginaw, Michigan.

Boxing
Anton Christoforidis (43-9-7) of Greece won a unanimous 15-round decision over Melio Bettina (52-11-2) at Cleveland Arena to win the National Boxing Association world light heavyweight title. The NBA had ruled that Billy Conn had relinquished the title by not fighting in the previous six months and by signing to challenge Joe Louis for the heavyweight title.

70 years ago
1946

Literature
The New York Herald Tribune reported that The Black Rose by Thomas B. Costain was the bestselling fiction book, and The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald was the bestselling non-fiction book.

War
Ante Pavelich, leader of the Croatian fascist organization Ustashe, went on trial in Yugoslavia with 27 Germans and 14 Croatians for war crimes during World War II.

Politics and government
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreaou denounced fascism and demanded the return of the Dodecanese Islands and Northern Epirus as six major political parties met in Athens.

Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan General Douglas MacArthur ordered the Japanese government to hold elections for the new House of Representatives "not earlier" than Mardh 15, 1946 so that approximately 1,000 candidates could be investigated.

Protest
Demonstrations by American soldiers against the slow process of demobilization were held in Paris, Frankfurt, and Calcutta.

Defense
U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz announced plans for a postwar Navy of seven fleets.

Labour
The U.S. United Auto Workers accepted the U.S. government fact-finding committee's recommendation of a 17.5% raise, and urged U.S. President Harry Truman to persuade General Motors to do likewise.

Texas Company and United Oil Workers agreed on an 18% pay raise package recommended by the U.S. government fact-finding board.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock--Bill Haley and his Comets (5th week at #1)

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out--The Beatles (5th week at #1)

On television tonight
Batman, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Smack in the Middle, with special guest villain Frank Gorshin as the Riddler

Politics and government
Robert C. Weaver became the first Negro American cabinet member when he wais appointed United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Lyndon Johnson.

Economics and finance
The Canadian government of Prime Minister Lester Pearson gave a $1-million long-term loan to Ceylon for purchase of industrial raw materials.

The Canadian government started a skills program for the unemployed; it was announced at a federal-provincial conference on manpower training.

40 years ago
1976

Died on this date
Margaret Leighton, 53. U.K. actress. Miss Leighton had a distinguished career on stage, winning Tony Awards for her starring performances in Separate Tables (1956) and The Night of the Iguana (1962). She made numerous television appearances, and acted in movies such as Under Capricorn (1949) and The Best Man (1964). Miss Leighton died of multiple sclerosis.

Diplomacy
The Organization of African Unity ended talks without resolving the Angolan civil war between the Western-supported National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA)-National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) coalition and the Cuban-supported Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

Abominations
A chartered plane, en route from west Africa to Cuba, made an unscheduled stop at Gander, Newfoundland. The flight was undoubtedly related to Cuba's involvement in the Angolan civil war, i.e., Cuba was acting as a proxy for the U.S.S.R.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Species Deceases (EP)--Midnight Oil (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Cheri, Cheri Lady--Modern Talking

Died on this date
Abdul Fattah Ismail, 46. Chairman of the Presidium of Supreme People's Council (South Yemen), 1978-1980. Mr. Ismail held various positions with the Yemeni Socialist Party before becoming General Secretary in 1978. He was one of four opponents of President Ali Nasir Muhammad Husani who were shot and killed for allegedly plotting to overthrow Mr. Husani.

World events
In Aden, the capital of South Yemen, gunmen allied with President Ali Nasir Muhammad Husani shot and killed four of the president’s political opponents at a cabinet meeting. A month-long war then began in Aden, resulting in thousands of casualties.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Sadeness Part I--Enigma (5th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Sadeness Part I--Enigma (6th week at #1)
2 Unchained Melody--The Righteous Brothers
3 Keep on Running--Milli Vanilli
4 Crazy for You--David Hasselhoff
5 Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice
6 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
7 I've Been Thinking About You--Londonbeat
8 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight--Robert Palmer and UB40
9 Fantasy--Black Box
10 The Invisible Man--Dance with a Stranger

Singles entering the chart were To Love Somebody by Jimmy Somerville (#19); Justify My Love by Madonna (#23); and Freedom for the World by David Hasselhoff (#30).

War
14 civilians were killed and more than 140 injured as the Soviet military continued its attack on the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.

Diplomacy
United Nations Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar met with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, but failed to persuade him to remove his forces from Kuwait.

Hockey
NHL
Mark Messier of the Edmonton Oilers scored his 1,000th career point in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Football
NFL
NFC Divisional Playoff
Chicago 3 @ New York Giants 31

Jeff Hostetler, playing in place of regular starting quarterback Phil Simms, completed 10 of 17 passes for 122 yards and touchdowns to Stephen Baker and Howard Cross, while rushng for 43 yards and a touchdown of his own, as the Giants routed the Bears before 77,025 fans at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. New York running back Rodney Hampton suffered a season-ending broken leg.



AFC Divisional Playoff
Cincinnati 10 @ Los Angeles Raiders 20

Jay Schroeder completed a 41-yard touchdown bomb to Ethan Horton and Jeff Jaeger converted and added a 25-yard field goal as the Raiders scored 10 straight points in the 4th quarter to break a 10-10 tie and defeat the Bengals before 92,045 fans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Marcus Allen led the Raiders with 140 yards rushing and Bo Jackson added 77 on just 6 carries, but when he was tackled by Cincinnati linebacker Kevin Walker at the end of a 34-yard run early in the 3rd quarter, he suffered a hip injury that ended his football career.



20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (13th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Knockin'--Double Vision (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Ademnood--Linda, Roos & Jessica (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Earth Song--Michael Jackson (6th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 One Sweet Day--Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (7th 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 Breakfast at Tiffany's--Deep Blue Something
7 Fantasy--Mariah Carey
8 Before You Walk Out of My Life/Like This and Like That--Monica
9 Name--Goo Goo Dolls
10 Missing--Everything But the Girl

Singles entering the chart were Visions of a Sunset by Shawn Stockman (#70); and Celebration/Take Your Chance by Fun Factory (#99). Visions of a Sunset was from the movie Mr. Holland's Opus (1995).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): One Sweet Day--Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (6th week at #1)

Basketball
NBA
Miami 65 @ Vancouver 69

The Grizzlies overcame a 41-32 halftime deficit to defeat the Heat before 17,532 fans at Pacific Coliseum in the third-lowest scoring National Basketball Association game since the introduction of the 24-second clock in 1954-55. Miami scored only 24 points in the second half, tying the NBA record low shared by Milwaukee and Chicago. Greg Anthony of the Grizzlies led all scorers with 21 points.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Frank Fixaris, 71. U.S. sportscaster. Mr. Fixaris was best known as the sports anchorman at radio and television stations WGME in Portland, Maine from 1965-1995. He was the colour commentator on broadcasts of the Maine Mariners and Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League. Mr. Fixaris died in a fire at his home.

Marc Potvin, 38. Canadian hockey player and coach. Mr. Potvin, a cousin of defensemen Denis Potvin and Jean Potvin, played right wing with the Detroit Red Wings (1990-92); Los Angeles Kings (1992-94); Hartford Whalers (1993-94); and Boston Bruins (1994-96), scoring 3 goals and 5 assists in 121 regular season games and 1 assist in 13 playoff games. He became a coach in the American Hockey League, and was coaching the Adirondack Frostbite of the United Hockey League when he hanged himself in his hotel room in Kalamazoo, Michigan.