December 16, 2016

125 years ago
1891

Scandal
Honoré Mercier was dismissed as Premier of Québec by Lieutenant-Governor Auguste-Réal Angers after a federal Senate inquiry and provincial Royal Commission had found that Mr. Mercier had awarded subsidies for the Baie des Chaleurs Railway in return for Liberal party funds. Mr. Mercier was succeeded as Premier by Charles Boucher de Boucherville, who had previously served as Premier from 1874-1878.

90 years ago
1926

Football
AFL
Exhibition
New York (1-0-1) 14 Los Angeles (0-1-1) 3 @ Birmingham

5,000 fans saw the Yankees defeat the Wildcats in the second game of their post-season barnstorming tour of southern states.

75 years ago
1941

War
The U.S.S.R. announced the recapture of Kalinin, 90 miles northwest of Moscow. Six German Gestapo agents were killed by a bomb near Paris. The Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London declared that a state of war existed between Czechoslovakia and all countries at war with the U.K., U.S.A., and U.S.S.R. Japanese forces drove toward Panang in northwestern Malaya and occupied Miri, Sarawak. The U.S. Navy announced that Japanese warships had bombarded the U.S. naval outpost of Johnston Island and that a submarine had shelled the shipping centre of Kahului on the Hawaiian island of Maui during the previous 24 hours. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed a five-man board led by Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts to investigate whether there had been any negligence by the U.S. Army and Navy in the December 7 Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The United States Weather Bureau announced that publication of long-range forecasts would be banned for the duration of World War II as a security measure. HMCS Calgary was commissioned for the Royal Canadian Navy at Esquimalt, British Columbia. Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho asked the Senate for authority to permit troops, warships, and planes of American nations fighting the Axis to use Mexican territory, waters, and ports for the duration of World War II.

World events
The Argentine cabinet declared a state of siege throughout the country; all constitutional guarantees were suspended.

Politics and government
Both houses of the United States Congress passed legislation giving President Roosevelt wartime powers similar to those held by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I. Mr. Roosevelt appointed Associated Press executive news editor Byron Price as director of the new censorship office.

Law
U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle notified U.S. attorneys not to prosecute persons arrested on charges of seditious speech without the consent of the Justice Department.

Aviation
The U.S. National Aeronautics Association awarded its highest honour, the Collier Trophy, to Dr. Sanford A. Moss for "outstanding success in high altitude flying through the development of the turbo-supercharger."

Labour
The American Federation of Labor issued a declaration of war labour policy, renewing its request to the Congress of Industrial Organizations "for unity in the labor movement."

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Ole Buttermilk Sky--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hoagy Carmichael
--Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers
--Paul Weston and his Orchestra with Matt Dennis
2 Rumors are Flying--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--The Andrews Sisters with Les Paul
--Betty Rhodes
--Tony Martin
3 The Old Lamp-Lighter--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hal Derwin
4 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons--King Cole Trio
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
5 This is Always--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
6 The Things We Did Last Summer--Frank Sinatra
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
7 To Each His Own--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra with Eddy Howard and Trio
--The Ink Spots
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with Stuart Wade
--Tony Martin
--The Modernaires with Paula Kelly
8 Five Minutes More--Frank Sinatra
--Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--The Three Suns
8 South America, Take it Away--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
--Xavier Cugat and the Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra
10 Passe--Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Margaret Whiting

Singles entering the chart were Oh, But I Do, with versions by Margaret Whiting; Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra; and Harry James and his Orchestra (#19); A Rainy Night in Rio by Sam Donahue and his Orchestra (#23); and Sonata, with versions by Perry Como; and Jo Stafford (#30).

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis and Howard McNear, on MBS
Tonight`s episode: Pearls are Unlucky

War
Reports from Irkutsk revealed that three million German and Japanese prisoners of war were building railways and highways in Siberia.

Defense
U.S. President Harry Truman approved a directive placing the armed forces under a single commander in each overseas theatre.

Politics and government
French Prime Minister Leon Blum, a Socialist, formed an all-Socialist cabinet with Guy Mollet as Minister of State.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmoud Fahmy Nokrashy Pasha receive a vote of confidence from Parliament on his intention to bring about a union with Sudan.

Scandal
Mississippi contractors told the U.S. Senate War Investigating Committee that they had given Sen. Theodore Bilbo (Democrat--Mississippi) a Cadillac and other gifts in the hope of gaining government contracts.

Economics and finance
Argentine President Juan Peron announced the liberalization of credit, allowing the government to make home and business loans at 2%-5% interest.

Labour
The New York Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. government's right to discharge employees suspected of disloyalty by rejecting the reinstatement plea of Morton Friedman, a War Manpower Commission employee dismissed for associating with a Communist-controlled group.

The Congress of Industrial Organizations United Office and Professional Workers announced a policy to eliminate "Communist interference" in its affairs.

Football
NFL
Bert Bell signed a new five-year contract as National Football League Commissioner, effective January 1, 1947. Mr. Bell had previously signed a three-year pact after replacing Elmer Layden early in 1946.

60 years ago
1956

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Rose Garden, starring John Williams, Patricia Collinge, and Evelyn Varden

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Heather Austin!

War
United Nations troops assumed control over most of the invaded sector of the Suez Canal Zone as Anglo-French troops continued their withdrawals under increased Egyptian harassment.

Disasters
22 people were killed in a train wreck near Taguasco, Cuba, allegedly caused by anti-government saboteurs.

Football
NFL
Detroit (9-3) 21 @ Chicago Bears (9-2-1) 38

The Bears defeated the Lions at Wrigley Field to finish first in the Western Conference for the first time in 10 years, qualifying them for the league championship game against the Giants in New York on December 30. The game was filled with bad feeling after Chicago defensive end Ed Meadows blindsided Detroit quarterback Bobby Layne and knocked him out of the game with a concussion.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Sugar Town--Nancy Sinatra
2 Mellow Yellow--Donovan
3 Good Vibrations--The Beach Boys
4 Stop Stop Stop--The Hollies
5 Single Girl--Sandy Posey
6 I'm a Believer--The Monkees
7 Communication Breakdown--Roy Orbison
8 Winchester Cathedral--The New Vaudeville Band
9 A Hazy Shade of Winter--Simon and Garfunkel
10 Walk Away Renee--The Left Banke
Pick hit of the week: Have You Ever Loved Somebody--The Seekers
New this week: You'll Be Sorry Some Day--Kitchen Cinq
Standing in the Shadows of Love--Four Tops
In a Dusty Old Room--Noel Harrison
Happy is Gone--Wayne Newton
Look What You've Done--The Pozo-Seco Singers

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly approved two covenants (draft treaties) giving force to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the covenants were subject to ratification by governments of the United States and other countries.

Abominations
The United Nations Security Council approved mandatory economic bans on Rhodesia; it was the first such action ever taken by the Security Council.

Energy
Canada's first nuclear power station opened at Douglas Point, Ontario.

40 years ago
1976

Died on this date
Réal Caouette, 59. Canadian politician. Mr. Caouette, a member of the Social Credit Party, represented the Quebec ridings of Pontiac (1946-1949); Villeneuve (1962-1968); and Temiscamingue (1968-1976) in the House of Commons. He formed and led the Ralliement des créditistes from 1958 from 1958-1971. The Ralliement was originally the French-speaking Quebec wing of the national Social Credit Party, but split from the main party in 1963 after Robert Thompson refused to resign as national leader. The two wings reunited in 1971, and Mr. Caouette led the Social Credit Party until he resigned as leader in November 1976, almost two months after suffering a stroke.

Health
U.S. officials halted vaccination programs against swine flu after reports of at least 50 cases of the paralytic condition known as Guillain-Barre syndrome and 4 deaths apparently linked to the vaccine. The Canadian federal and provincial governments followed suit.

30 years ago
1986

Politics and government
Robert Toupin (Terrebonne) joined the New Democratic Party, giving them their first Member of Parliament from Québec. Mr. Toupin had been elected to the House of Commons in 1984 as a Progressive Conservative, but had left the party to sit as an independent in 1986.

25 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Piece of My Wish--Miki Imai (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Laatikoita--Sielun Veljet (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Let's Talk About Sex--Salt-N-Pepa (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Hits)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)
2 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
3 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn
4 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
5 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
6 Wildside--Mark Mark & the Funky Bunch
7 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton
8 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
9 Finally--Ce Ce Peniston
10 No Son of Mine--Genesis

Singles entering the chart were Addams Groove by MC Hammer (#32); Is it Good to You by Heavy D & the Boyz (#41); Hearts Don't Think by Natural Selection (#45); and Keep it Comin' by Keith Sweat (#50).

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism.

Asiatica
Kazakhstan declared its independence from the U.S.S.R.

Abominations
At Victoria General Hospital in Halifax, Bernard Bradley performed Canada's first transplant of tissue from aborted fetuses to battle the effects of Parkinson's disease; the procedure stimulated dopamine.

Politics and government
Canadian Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Tom Siddon signed the Nunavut land deal with Inuit of the eastern Arctic after 15 years of negotiations; the federal government agreed to create a third territory in the North called Nunavut, with $1.15 billion in grants and title to 250,000 square kilometres. A plebiscite was set for April 1992.

Business
Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc. purchased 15% of Australia's John Fairfax Group Ltd. for $1.32 billion, making Hollinger the largest single shareholder.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Macarena Christmas--Los del Rio (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): I Can't Help Myself (I Love You, I Want You)--The Kelly Family (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Time to Say Goodbye--Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Head Over Feet--Alanis Morissette (5th week at #1)
2 Mouth--Merril Bainbridge
3 When You Love a Woman--Journey
4 How Bizarre--OMC
5 Black Cloud Rain--Corey Hart
6 Bittersweet Me--R.E.M.
7 He Liked to Feel It--Crash Test Dummies
8 Angels of the Silences--Counting Crows
9 Diggin' a Hole--Big Sugar
10 Dance Into the Light--Phil Collins

Singles entering the chart were Don't Let Go by En Vogue (#81); One Headlight by the Wallflowers (#82); The Grease Megamix by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (#86); A Long December by Counting Crows (#87); Bang Bang by ZZ Top (#88); Wannabe by the Spice Girls (#89); Get it While You Can by Lawrence Gowan (#97); Any Road Back by Universal Honey (#98); and I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly (#100).

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien apologized for not telling the truth about the Goods and Services Tax, i.e., for giving Canadians the impression during the 1993 federal election campaign that his government would eliminate the Goods and Services Tax. The reason Canadians got that impression was because that was what Mr. Chrétien had promised.

10 years ago
2006

Religion
Tom Collins was appointed Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto, replacing retiring Cardinal Aloysius Ambrosia. Rev. Collins was Bishop of St. Paul, Alberta from 1997-1999 and Archbishop of Edmonton from 1999 until his appointment to Toronto.