January 7, 2016

450 years ago
1566

Religion
Antonio Ghislieri was elected Pope Pius V; he was crowned 10 days later, on his 62nd birthday.

125 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Zora Neale Hurston. U.S. folklorist. Miss Hurston was known for studying and writing about the people of the Negro town of Eatonville, Florida and the surrounding area. Her best-known book was the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). Miss Hurston died on January 28, 1960, three weeks after her 69th birthday.

120 years ago
1896

Literature
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, the first cookbook by Fannie Farmer, was published by Little, Brown & Company.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Al Hostak. U.S. boxer. Mr. Hostak was National Boxing Association world middleweight champion from July-November 1938 and June 1939-July 1940. He posted a record of 64-9-11 in a professional career spanning the years 1932-1949. Mr. Hostak died on August 13, 2006 at the age of 90.

75 years ago
1941

War
British troops in Libya captured El Adem airport, 15 miles south of Tobruk.

Diplomacy
Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka protested the British seizure of Japanese funds in Bermuda.

Law
A judge in New Jersey upheld the state's "race hatred" statutes by overrruling objections of nine convicted German-American Bund leaders.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Office of Production management (OPM), with William Knudsen as director general. Sidney Hillman was appointed associate director general with equal powers.

Labour
19 American unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor's Building Trades Department adopted a no-strike policy on defense construction.

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 It Might as Well Be Spring--Paul Weston and his Orchestra with Margaret Whiting
--Dick Haymes
--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
2 Chickery Chick--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Evelyn Knight and the Jesters
3 It's Been a Long Long Time--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby with Les Paul and his Trio
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
--Stan Kenton and his Orchestra
4 I Can't Begin to Tell You--Bing Crosby with Carmen Cavallaro
--Andy Russell
--Harry James and his Orchestra
5 Symphony--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
--Benny Goodman and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby
--Jo Stafford
6 Waitin' for the Train to Come In--Peggy Lee
--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Johnny Long and his Orchestra and Dick Robertson
7 Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)--Perry Como and the Satisfyers
8 Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief--Betty Hutton
9 That's for Me--Dick Haymes
--Jo Stafford
10 I'll Buy that Dream--Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes
--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Hal McIntyre and his Orchestra

No new singles entered the chart.

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Murder in Wax

Died on this date
Suzanne Degnan, 6. U.S. crime victim. Miss Degnan was taken from her family's apartment in Chicago, murdered, and dismembered. Her body parts were found in various storm drains in her neighbourhood. William Heirens, 17, pled guilty on September 4 to her murder and the 1945 murders of two women in Chicago, and was sentenced the next day to life in prison with no possibility of parole. He claimed that his confession had been made under duress.

War
At the Nazi war crimes trial in Nuremberg, U.S. Army Colonel Telford Taylor summed up the case against the German general staff and high command by declaring that their plans for conquest "turned Europe into a charnel house."

Diplomacy
The U.S.A., U.K., U.S.S.R., and France formally recognized Austria.

A petition singed by 77 prominent Argentinians urged the United Nations to intervene against undemocratic governments and destroy "the Nazi redoubt installed in Argentina."

Economist Robert Nathan told the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on Palestine at its opening session in Washington that Palestine could absorb 615,000-1,125,000 displaced Jews within 10 years.

Defense
U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes stated that U.S. interests in the atomic issue would not be jeopardized by any United Nations commission, and denied that atomic secrets would be given up without congressional approval.

Journalism
American Society of Newspaper Editors and United Press President Hugh Baillie asked Edward Stettinius, acting head of the United States delegation to the United Nations, to work for the free exchange of international news.

Politics and government
The Romanian cabinet was reformed in line with Soviet objectives , with the appointment of Mihai Romniceanu and Emil Hatsieganu as ministers without portfolio.

The U.S. House of Representatives Territorial Affairs Subcommittee began hearings in Honolulu for Hawaiian statehood.

U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover said that American Youth for Democracy reflected "all the sinister purposes of the Communist Party in teh United States."

Protest
American soldiers in Manila, Guam, Camp Boston (France), and Andrews Field (Maryland) demonstrated against a reported demobilization slowdown.

Religion
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses had the right to distribute their literature in company-owned or federal towns.

Labour
United Auto Workers and Kaiser-Frazer Company reached an agreement giving the union a $1.20 average hourly wage.

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): The Yellow Rose of Texas--Mitch Miller, his Orchestra and Chorus

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Der Mond hält seine Wacht--Peter Alexander (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock--Bill Haley and his Comets (9th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Sixteen Tons--"Tennessee" Ernie Ford (Best Seller--7th week at #1; Jukebox--6th week at #1; Top 100--6th week at #1); Memories are Made of This--Dean Martin (Disc Jockey--1st week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Sixteen Tons--"Tennessee" Ernie Ford (7th week at #1)
2 Memories are Made of This--Dean Martin
3 I Hear You Knocking--Gale Storm
4 He--Al Hibbler
--The McGuire Sisters
5 Moments to Remember--The Four Lads
6 Autumn Leaves--Roger Williams
7 The Great Pretender--The Platters
8 Love and Marriage--Frank Sinatra
9 Only You (And You Alone)--The Platters
--The Hilltoppers
10 It's Almost Tomorrow--The Dream Weavers

Singles entering the chart were Go On with the Wedding, with versions by Patti Page and Kitty Kallen and Georgie Shaw (#33); and My Baby's Got Such Lovin' Ways (#43)/(Baby, Baby) Be Good to Me (#50) by the McGuire Sisters.

On television tonight
The Honeymooners, on CBS
Tonight's episode: A Matter of Record

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Day Tripper/We Can Work it Out--The Beatles (4th week at #1)
2 The Sounds of Silence--Simon & Garfunkel
3 Flowers on the Wall--The Statler Brothers
4 Over and Over--The Dave Clark Five
5 She's Just My Style--Gary Lewis and the Playboys
6 Fever--The McCoys
7 England Swings--Roger Miller
8 It's Good News Week--Hedgehoppers Anonymous
9 You Didn't Have to Be So Nice--The Lovin' Spoonful
10 Spanish Eyes--Al Martino
Pick hit of the week: Barbara Ann--The Beach Boys
New this week: Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?--Bob Dylan
Night Time--The Strangeloves
Love is All We Need--Mel Carter
Poor Anne--J.B. and the Playboys
Trapped--Peggy Lee

World events
Canada, together with Britain and Australia, sent emergency food supplies to drought-stricken Zambia, Rhodesia, Bechuanaland, Basutoland.

40 years ago
1976

War
The British naval frigate HMS Andromeda was involved in a collision with the Icelandic gunboat Thor in the Atlantic Ocean, the second such collision involving the Andromeda in less than 10 days.

Politics and government
Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro and his cabinet resigned after Socialists withdrew support for his coalition government.

A U.S. Appeals Court ruled that former President Richard Nixon's presidential papers and tapes were public property.

Hockey
NHL
Super Series '76
Soviet Wings (2-1) 4 @ Chicago 2

The Wings scored 3 powerplay goals as they defeated the Black Hawks at Chicago Stadium. Messrs. Tyerhin, Kapustin, Schlalimov, and Liapkin scored for the Wings. Dick Redmond scored for Chicago in the 1st period, and Dennis Hull scored in the 3rd period. The Wings outshot the Black Hawks 30-18.



WHA
New England 3 @ Ottawa 2

8,500 fans at Ottawa Civic Centre saw the Whalers edge the Civics in the first World Hockey Association game played in Ottawa since the Denver Spurs had been transferred on January 2, and the first WHA game in Ottawa since the Ottawa Nationals had moved to Toronto to become the Toros after the 1972-73 season.

30 years ago
1986

Terrorism
U.S. President Ronald Reagan, speaking at a press conference, said that there was "irrefutable evidence" that Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi was a supporter of Abu Nidal, believed to be behind the December 27 bombings at airports in Rome and Vienna. Mr. Reagan said that Libya’s actions constituted a threat to the national security of the United States, and that he had signed an executive order banning trade with Libya, banning travel to and from the country, and ordering Americans in Libya to leave. Mr. Reagan said that Gen. Gaddafi was "not only a barbarian, but he’s flaky." Mr. Reagan said that the U.S.A. had aborted 126 "terrorist missions" in the past year, including 23 in the United States.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Ai wa Katsu--(愛は勝つ)--Kan (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Raptori--Debi Gibson

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Sadeness Part I--Enigma (9th week at #1)

Music
Paul Simon performed at the Edmonton Coliseum, beginning with The Obvious Child--his current single--and finishing with American Tune. I paid $33.75 for my ticket for a seat behind the stage, but the sound quality was excellent, as was the performance of Mr. Simon and his band. It was such a good show that Bridge Over Troubled Water might have been the "low" point. I haven’t been to a concert at the Coliseum since.

World events
Nine hours after Roger Lafontant and his private militia had stormed the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince, forced the resignation of Haitian President Ertha Pascal Trouillot, and announced that Mr. Lafontant had assumed the provisional presidency, loyalist troops stormed the second-storey presidential offices, freeing Ms. Trouillot and capturing Mr. Lafontant and his followers. They were to be held for trial by civilian authorities.

War
The Soviet defense ministry said that it would send thousands of troops to seven republics to seize draft dodgers and enforce conscription. Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis said the U.S.S.R. was "looking for bloodshed."

Defense
U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced that he was cancelling the Navy’s A-12 Stealth attack-plane project. The A-12 Avenger was being developed by McDonnell Douglas Corporation and General Dynamics Corp. The Navy had planned to pay $52 billion for 620 of the planes. Mr. Cheney said that the companies had not been able to "design, develop, fabricate, assemble, and test the A-12 aircraft within the contract schedule," and that it was not in the national interest to bail the companies out. The companies denied defaulting on the contract. The Pentagon had never previously cancelled such an expensive program.

Politics and government
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter was named by the White House to become chairman of the Republican National Committee, replacing the ailing Lee Atwater, who had resigned in 1990 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): One Sweet Day--Maria Carey and Boyz II Men (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Gangsta's Paradise--Coolio featuring L.V. (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Earth Song--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Scotland (OCC): Earth Song--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Károly Grósz, 65. Prime Minister of Hungary, 1987-1988. Mr. Grósz joined the Hungarian Communist Party in 1945 at the age of 14 and rose through the ranks, eventually holding the office of Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister), and General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (1988-1989). He was unable to withstand the move for reform within the party, which reorganized itself as the Hungarian Socialist Party on October 7, 1989, ousting him from leadership. Mr. Grósz led a hardline faction and formed a new Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, which failed to win any seats in Hungary's first multiparty election in 1990. Mr. Grósz died of kidney cancer.

Terrorism
A bomb exploded in Karachi, killing 7 people and wounding 35. Other attacks the same day killed 11 and wounded 25.

Disasters
A major blizzard paralyzed the eastern United States, claiming more than 100 lives.

Football
NFL
NFC Divisional Playoff
Philadelphia 11 @ Dallas 30



AFC Divisional Playoff
Indianapolis 10 @ Kansas City 7



10 years ago
2006

Journalism
American journalist Jill Carroll was abducted in Iraq, while a translator was killed. (Ms. Carroll was released unharmed after 82 days.)

Politics and government
U.S. Representative Tom DeLay (Republican--Texas), facing corruption charges, stepped down as House of Representatives majority leader.

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Washington 17 @ Tampa Bay 10



AFC Wild Card Playoff
Jacksonville 3 @ New England 28