January 6, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Sherlock Holmes, Sheila Hellevang, and Johanna Wegner!

950 years ago
1066

Britannica
Harold II was crowned King of England, the day after the death of Edward the Confessor.

375 years ago
1641

War
The first Parliament of Quillín took place, putting a temporary hold on hostilities between Mapuches and Spanish in Chile.

230 years ago
1786

Politics and government
The first sitting of the New Brunswick legislature took place in Saint John.

175 years ago
1841

Diplomacy
The Report of American Commissioners was released, concerning the boundary line between New Brunswick and the State of Maine.

120 years ago
1896

Died on this date
Thomas W. Knox, 60. U.S. journalist and author. Mr. Knox was a war correspondent for the New York Herald during the American Civil War, and was known for his attacks on Union Army General William T. Sherman and his soldiers. Mr. Knox wrote more than 45 books, including travel adventure books for boys.

80 years ago
1936

Politics and government
Barbara Hanley defeated Robert Streich by 13 votes to win her first of eight terms as Mayor of the northern Ontario town of Webbwood, becoming Canada's first female mayor.

75 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Charley O'Leary, 65. U.S. baseball player. Mr. O'Leary was a shortstop with the Detroit Tigers (1904-1912); St. Louis Cardinals (1913); and St. Louis Browns (1934), batting .226 with 3 home runs and 213 runs batted in in 955 games. When he came out of retirement to pinch hit for the Browns on September 30, 1934, he singled and scored, becoming the oldest major league player to both hit safely and score; only Satchel Paige, who pitched in 1 game with the Kansas City Athletics in 1965 at the age of 59, played in a major league game at an older age.

Politics and government
In his State of the Union address to Congress, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his Four Freedoms speech--freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from want and fear. Senator Burton K. Wheeler (Democrat--Montana) denounced the speech as an attempt to frighten Americans into a "war-time dictatorship."



Diplomacy
Chile and Argentina agreed to confer on territorial rights in Antarctic regions.

Economics and finance
The Japanese-controlled Chinese government in Nanking opened the Central Reserve Bank and declared that its notes must be used for customs duties in central China.

Business
Charles E. Wilson was elected president of General Motors.

70 years ago
1946

Diplomacy
Turkish Prime Minister Sukru Saracoglu declared that the U.S.S.R. had no right to the Turkish border provinces of Kars and Ardahan because they had voted to return to Turkey in a plebiscite after World War I.

Ecuador proposed a permanent conciliation commission to handle dsiputes in the Western Hemisphere.

Defense
The combined Chiefs of Staff announced the end of U.S. participation in the Allied Southeast Asia Command.

Politics and government
The Indochinese Communist Party-Vietnam Workers' Party captured 182 of 302 seats in the National Assembly in the first Vietnamese general election.

World events
Nationalist activity was reported near the Iranian cities of Marageh, Mianeh, and Malik Kandi against the autonomous Azerbaijani regime.

Protest
Students in Cairo demonstrated against the Egyptian government of Prime Minister Mahmoud an-Nokrashy Pasha during the funeral of assassinated Wafdist Amin Osman Pasha.

Science
The Federation of American Scientists, a 2,500-member merger of individual atomic scientist organizations, held its first meeting in New York City.

Economics and finance
The European Coal Organization annunced that the U.S.A.; U.K.; France; Belgium; Netherlands; Luxembourg; Norway; Denmark; Greece; and Turkey had agreed to make it a permanent body.

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 (4th 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 (4th week at #1)

Politics and government
Former Calgary Mayor Grant MacEwan was installed as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, replacing the retiring J. Percy Page.

The Ontario government of Premier John Robarts let the federal government take responsibility for Native education, housing, and employment.

Journalism
The first issue of The Drum was published in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The paper was published in English, Inuit, and Loucheux dialect, and was the first newspaper of its kind in the Arctic.

40 years ago
1976

Music
The album Frampton Comes Alive! by Peter Frampton was released in the United States and Canada on A&M Records.

Business
Television executive and yachtsman Ted Turner bought the Atlanta Braves from Bill Bartholomay for a reported $12 million.

Baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates assigned third baseman Art Howe to the Houston Astros as the player to be named later in the December 12, 1975 deal in which the Astros traded second baseman Tommy Helms to the Pirates. Mr. Howe batted .171 with 1 home run and 10 runs batted in in 63 games with Pittsburgh in 1975 and .357 with no homers and 3 RBIs in 11 games with the Charleston Charlies of the AAA International League.

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Species Deceases (EP)--Midnight Oil (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Part-Time Lover--Stevie Wonder (10th week at #1)

Personal
This blogger began a four-month job as an assistant at the University of Alberta Archives.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Ice Ice Baby--Vanilla Ice (6th week at #1)

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

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Sadeness Part I--Enigma (5th 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 I've Been Thinking About You--Londonbeat
7 The Joker--Steve Miller Band
8 I'm Your Baby Tonight--Whitney Houston
9 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight--Robert Palmer and UB40
10 Mary Had a Little Boy--Snap!

Singles entering the chart were Fantasy by Black Box (#11); Pray by MC Hammer (#19); and Impulsive by Wilson Phillips (#30).

World events
Roger Lafontant, a former leader of the Tonton Macoutes--the private militia of Haitian Presidents "Papa Doc" and "Baby Doc" Duvalier--and armed supporters seized the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince in a bloodless coup and forced the resignation of provisional President Ertha Pascal Trouillot. Mr. Lafontant was seeking to prevent President-elect Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had won a landslide win in the presidential election in December 1990, from taking office in February.

Politics and government
The Citizens' Forum on Canada's Future, chaired by Keith Spicer, opened its first public hearing in Saint John, New Brunswick. The panel heard from a select group of high school seniors, most of whom voiced support for a strong federal government and a single national identity.

Economics and finance
U.S. federal regulators took control of the Bank of New England Corporation and declared three subsidiaries insolvent. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said it would insure deposits in full--not just those up to $100,000. The cost of the bailout was put at $2.3 billion.

Hockey
NHL-USSR exhibition
Central Red Army 2 @ Edmonton 4

Football
NFL
AFC Wild Card Playoff
Houston 14 @ Cincinnati 41



NFC Wild Card Playoff
New Orleans 6 @ Chicago 16



20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (12th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Knockin'--Double Vision

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Ademnood--Linda, Roos & Jessica (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Earth Song--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 One Sweet Day--Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (6th 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 Free as a Bird--The Beatles
7 Breakfast at Tiffany's--Deep Blue Something
8 Fantasy--Mariah Carey
9 Before You Walk Out of My Life/Like This and Like That--Monica
10 Name--Goo Goo Dolls

Singles entering the chart were Let's Play House by Tha Dogg Pound featuring Michel'le (#63); Where Do U Want Me to Put It by Solo (#86); and Can't Be Really Gone by Tim McGraw (#94).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Cash Box): One Sweet Day--Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (5th week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
Pierre Turgeon of the Montreal Canadiens scored his 300th career NHL goal in a game at the Montreal Forum.

Football
NFL
AFC Divisional Playoff
Buffalo 21 @ Pittsburgh 40



NFC Divisional Playoff
Green Bay 27 @ San Francisco 17



10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Lou Rawls, 72. U.S. singer. Mr. Rawls was known for his smooth voice, which resulted in three Grammy Awards for rhythm and blues vocal performance. In a career that spanned over 50 years, Mr. Rawls had his biggest hit single in 1976, when You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine reached #1 on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues singles chart and #2 on the Hot 100 chart.