December 13, 2017

375 years ago
1642

Exploration
Dutch navigator Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand.

180 years ago
1837

War
In the Upper Canada Rebellion, Dr. Charles Duncombe ordered his 300 rebel followers in Brantford to disperse after learning of William Lyon Mackenzie's defeat at Toronto. Meanwhile, Mr. Mackenzie set up a provisional government and proclaimed the Republic of Canada on Navy Island in the Niagara River. In his proclamation, he declared, "We are wearied of these oppressions, and resolved to throw off the yoke. Rise Canadians! Rise as one man, and the glorious object of our wishes is accomplished." Mr. Mackenzie's flag was a tricolour bearing two stars, one for Upper Canada and one for Lower Canada, symbolizing the states who would enter the American union. Disgusted by a lack of support, he left a month later, and settled for a time in New York City. In the Lower Canada Rebellion, Sir John Colborne set out from Montréal toward St-Eustache with 1,800 British Army regulars and 200 militia in two brigades commanded by Colonel George Wetherall and Colonel John Maitland.

150 years ago
1867

Terrorism
A Fenian bomb exploded in Clerkenwell, London, killing six.

140 years ago
1877

Born on this date
Mykola Leontovych. Ukrainian composer. Mr. Leontovych specialized in a cappella choral music; his works included Shchedryk (known in English as Carol of the Bells). Mr. Leontovych supported the Ukrainian independence movement, which may have motivated his murder at the age of 43 by Afanasy Grishchenko, an agent of the Soviet state security force Cheka, on the night of January 22-23, 1921.

125 years ago
1892

Religion
The Cincinnati Presbytery of the U.S. Presbyterian Church voted 31-27 to suspend Henry P. Smith, professor at Lane Theological Seminary, for heresy.

120 years ago
1897

Born on this date
Drew Pearson. U.S. journalist. Mr. Pearson was a muckraking reporter whose Washington Merry-Go-Round began running in the Washington Herald in 1932, and moved to The Washington Post in 1941. His radio program Drew Pearson Comments ran on NBC from 1941-1953. Mr. Pearson attacked prominent people whom he believed were acting contrary to America's interests, and he often used a mixture of truth and lies against his targets. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt publicly called Mr. Pearson a liar, and the columnist's attacks on Senator Joseph McCarthy culminated in a physical confrontation in 1950, in which Mr. Pearson came out the loser. Mr. Pearson died on September 1, 1969 at the age of 71, a few days after suffering a heart attack; his column was continued by Jack Anderson, who had begun assisting Mr. Pearson in 1945.

110 years ago
1907

Society
The Social and Moral Reform Council for the province of Saskatchewan was formed.

90 years ago
1927

Died on this date
G.E. Sheldon, 74. U.S. financial executive. Mr. Sheldon, secretary-treasurer of the Phenix Trust Company in Providence, Rhode Island, fatally shot his wife and himself.

Academia
L'Université de Montréal became a self-governing body separate from l'Université Laval.

Politics and government
U.S. President Calvin Coolidge named former Secretary of War Henry Stimson to succeed the late Major General Leonard Wood as Governor General of the Philippines.

80 years ago
1937

Abominations
Japanese troops under the command of General Matsui Iwane destroyed much of the Chinese capital of Nanking, murdered 150,000 male "war prisoners" and 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and girls in what became known as the Rape of Nanking.

75 years ago
1942

War
U.S. planes sank a ship and started fires in heavy raids on the three main Tunisian ports of Bizerte, Tunis, and Sousse. Chinese forces claimed to have repulsed Japanese forces attempting to cross the Salween River from the west in Yunan Province.

Football
NFL
Championship @ Griffith Stadium, Washington
Chicago Bears 6 @ Washington 14

Two years after being humiliated 73-0 at home by the Bears in the NFL championship game, the Redskins defeated the previously undefeated Bears before 36,006 fans to win their second National Football League title. The Bears opened the scoring early in the 2nd quarter when Lee Artoe returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown. Mr. Artoe missed the convert, and the Bears led 6-0. Later in the quarter, Washington quarterback Sammy Baugh completed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Wilbur Moore. Bob Masterson converted to put the Redskins ahead 7-6. Andy Farkas rushed 1 yard for a touchdown midway through the 3rd quarter, and Mr. Masterson converted to give the Redskins a 14-6 lead. Neither team mounted mush of an offense: the Bears rushed for 102 yards and passed for 119, while the Redskins rushed for 104 and passed for just 66. Mr. Baugh completed 5 of 13 passes for 66 yards and 2 interceptions, while Chicago quarterbacks Sid Luckman and Charlie O’Rourke completed 8 of 17 for 119 yards and 3 interceptions. The Bears had posted an 11-0 record during the regular season, while the Redskins had been 10-1.



70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Near You--Francis Craig and his Orchestra (10th week at #1)
--Larry Green and his Orchestra
--The Andrews Sisters
--Alvino Rey and his Orchestra
--Elliot Lawrence and his Orchestra
2 You Do--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Margaret Whiting
--Dinah Shore
--Vic Damone
3 Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Buddy Clark
4 How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)--Jack Owens
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Dinah Shore
5 Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)--Danny Kaye and the Andrews Sisters
--Louis Prima and his Orchestra
--Jack Smith and the Clark Sisters
--Ray McKinley and his Orchestra
6 I Wish I Didn't Love You So--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
--Dick Haymes
--Betty Hutton
7 So Far--Frank Sinatra
--Perry Como
--Margaret Whiting
8 --And Mimi--Art Lund
--Dick Haymes
9 I Have But One Heart (O Marinariello)--Vic Damone
10 Whiffenpoof Song--Bing Crosby with Fred Waring and the Glee Club

Singles entering the chart were the version of Ballerina by Buddy Clark and Curiosity by Stan Kenton and his Orchestra (#31).

Died on this date
Henry James, 68. U.S. writer. Mr. James, the son of psychologist William James and nephew of novelist Henry James, won the 1931 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for Charles W. Eliot, President of Harvard University, 1869-1901 (1930).

Terrorism
Bombings attributed to the Jewish organization Irgun Zvai Leumi caused 16 deaths and 67 injuries in the Jaffa and Arab sectors of Jerusalem.

Business
The U.S. Justice Department sued the Du Pont Company on charges of monopolizing the cellophane industry, claiming that the firm had handled over two-thirds of all U.S. cellophane sales in 1946.

Sport
NCAA
The Missouri Valley Conference, meeting in Kansas City, voted to ban all racial bias in athletic affairs by September 1950.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Only You (And You Alone)--The Platters (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Mary's Boy Child--Harry Belafonte (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
Harbor Command, starring Wendell Corey
Tonight's episode: Dead on 'B' Deck

Defense
U.S. Defense Department director of guided missiles William Holaday announced plans to "accelerate" the Atlas missile program.

Crime
A U.S. federal jury in Chicago indicted former Laundry and Dry Cleaners International Union secretary-treasurer Eugene James on charges of evading $562,982 in income taxes.

Disasters
An earthquake in western Iran destroyed the village of Farsinaj, killing 1,266 inhabitants.

1,200 people were killed when an earthquake struck outer Mongolia.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 The Last Waltz--Engelbert Humperdinck (7th week at #1)
2 (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees
3 Itchycoo Park--Small Faces
4 The Letter--The Box Tops
5 The Two of Us--Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch
6 My Prayer/Don't Let Your Left Hand Know--The Vibrants
7 There's Always Me/Judy--Elvis Presley
8 Gimme Little Sign--Brenton Wood
9 Alternate Title--The Monkees
10 Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen

Singles entering the chart were Snoopy's Christmas; In and Out of Love by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#29); Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus by the Beatles (#32); Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) by Johnny Farnham (#34); Big Boss Man by Elvis Presley (#36); Annabelle Lee/Seems More Important to Me by the Groop (#37); and The Rain, the Park and Other Things by the Cowsills (#38).

Space
The United States launched the satellite Pioneer 8 into a heliocentric Earth orbit; its purpose was to take measurements of particles and fields over the solar cycle at widely separated points in interplanetary space. Pioneer 8 also carried a "piggyback satellite," Test and Training Satellite (TTS)-1, a secondary objective payload for the checkout, training, and development of MSFN stations and techniques. The two satellites were in different orbits.

World events
Deposed King Constantine II of Greece failed in an attempt to gain enough military support to launch a successful counter-coup against the Regime of the Colonels. The militry junta named a cabinet with Colonel George Papadopoulos as Prime Minister and appointed a "regent" and "viceroy" to replace the King. The junta announced in a broadcast that "adventurers...misled the King."

Disasters
18 people were killed and 15 injured in Iwiny, Poland when a small lake broke its bank and flooded the community.

40 years ago
1977

On television tonight
Family, on ABC
Tonight's episode: A Child is Given

Disasters
Air Indiana Flight 216, a Douglas DC-3, crashed soon after it took off in dense fog from Evansville Regional Airport in southwestern Indiana, killing all 26 passengers and 3 crew members aboard, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff, and boosters of the team. The team was on its way to Nashville for a game against Middle Tennessee University.

Hockey
CHL
Dallas 4 @ Kansas City 3
Tulsa 5 @ Salt Lake City 1

The Phoenix Roadrunners were originally scheduled to play in Kansas City this night, but the Roadrunners folded on December 12, leaving the Central Hockey League with five teams, and forcing a readjustment of the schedule.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Faith--George Michael (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Whenever You Need Somebody--Rick Astley

#1 single in France: La Bamba--Los Lobos (9th week at #1)

Football
NFL
New York Giants (4-9) 24 @ St. Louis (6-7) 27

31,324 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium saw the Cardinals play their last home game after 28 seasons in St. Louis. They became the Phoenix Cardinals in 1988.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Would I Lie to You?--Charles & Eddie (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier

Died on this date
C.V. Whitney, 93. U.S. businessman. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, the son of Harry Payne Whitney an Gertrude Vanderbilt, inherited a large fortune, but proved to be capable in his own right, founding mining interests and producing films such as The Searchers (1956). He served in both world wars, and was Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (1947-1949) and Undersecretary of Commerce in the U.S. administration of President Harry Truman. Mr. Whitney was also known as an author, sportsman, philanthropist, and patron of the arts.

K.C. Irving, 93. Canadian industrialist. A native of Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Mr. Irving formed the Irving Oil Company in the 1920s and extended his business interests to include transportation, oil refining, mining, pulp and paper, and communications. His fortune was estimated to be $8.5 billion at the time of his death.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Breathe--Midge Ure (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Candle in the Wind 1997--Elton John (12th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Savoir aimer--Florent Pagny (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Barbie Girl--Aqua (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Barbie Girl--Aqua (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!"--Teletubbies

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight--Elton John (10th week at #1)

Football
NFL
Miami 0 @ Indianapolis 41

NCAA
University of Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson became the first predominantly defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding college player in the United States, surpassing Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning in the voting. Notre Dame end Leon Hart, a pure two-way player, was the last lineman to win the award, in 1949.

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Floyd Westerman, 71. U.S. actor and musician. Mr. Westerman celebrated his Native American heritage and had a successful career as a country singer before appearing in television programs and movies such as Dances with Wolves (1990) and The Doors (1991). He died of leukemia.

Business
Shareholders of Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, approved a takeover by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

Scandal
The Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball was released, implicating seven Most Valuable Players and 31 All-Stars.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney appeared before a House of Commons ethics committee, which was seeking to verify the allegations of German-born Canadian businessman Karlheinz Schreiber, who was being held in a Toronto prison pending extradition to his home country to be tried for fraud and tax evasion. In March 2007, shortly after his extradition was endorsed by the Supreme Court of Canada, Mr. Schreiber brought a lawsuit against Mr. Mulroney in the Ontario Superior Court in relation to a payment of $300,000 that was to have been made to Mr. Mulroney, while he was Member of Parliament for Charlevoix, in exchange for business start-up services.