Friday 15 December 2017

December 15, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Rahim Jaffer!

550 years ago
1467


War
Forces of Prince Stephen III of Moldavia defeated forces of King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary in the Battle of Baia, in what is now Romania. The result ended all Hungarian claims on Moldavia.

180 years ago
1837


War
In the Lower Canada Rebellion, Governor Sir John Colborne marched from St-Eustache to St. Benoît, getting the remaining 150 Patriotes to surrender their arms without a fight.

125 years ago
1892


Born on this date
J. Paul Getty
. U.S. industrialist. Jean Paul Getty, son of a petroleum executive, made his first million dollars by 1916 and founded the Getty Oil Company in 1942. By 1957 he was named by Fortune magazine as the richest living American, and by 1966 he was regarded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's richest person. He moved to England in the 1950s, and died there on June 6, 1976 at the age of 83.

100 years ago
1917


War
An armistice between Russia and the Central Powers was signed.

Hockey
NHL
The National Hockey League staged its first exhibition game, four days before the start of the regular season. The Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Wanderers played a benefit for victims of the Halifax Explosion, which had occurred nine days earlier.

90 years ago
1927


Crime
Marion Parker 12, daughter of banker Perry Parker, was kidnapped from Mount Vernon Junior High School in Los Angeles and held for ransom of $1,500.

Scandal
Testifying before a U.S. Senate Committee in Washington, newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst and his agents submitted alleged stolen Mexican documents directing $1,215,000 to be paid to four Senators--$500,000 to James Borah (Republican--Idaho); $350,000 to Thomas Heflin (Democrat--Alabama); $350,000 to George Norris (Republican--Nebraska); and $15,000 to Bob LaFollette (Republican--Wisconsin). All four Senators made sworn denials. It was said in the documents that the money was to be paid by order of Mexican President P.E. Calles through A.M. Elias, his Consul General in New York City. Mr. Elias told the committee that the documents were spurious and that he had never made nor been asked to make any payments. On January 11, 1928, the Senate Committee reported that the documents were fraudulent and spurious.

75 years ago
1942


War
The Soviet government reported German counterattacks southwest and northwest of Stalingrad and on the central front had been repulsed this day. British reports from Tunisia indicated that Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps troops had mined the roads in their retreat from El Agheila, hampering British pursuit. The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse between U.S. and Japanese forces began on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. In two days of air attacks on Buin, Bougainville Island and Munda, New Georgia Island, U.S. planes encountered no Japanese resistance.

70 years ago
1947


Died on this date
Leonardo Argüello Barreto, 72
. President of Nicaragua, 1947. Dr. Argüello, a physician, joined the Liberal Party in 1912, and held several positions before losing the 1936 presidential election to General Anastasio Somoza Garcia. In 1947, Gen. Somoza declined to run for re-election, but proposed that Dr. Argüello run as the Liberal candidate. Dr. Argüello won, but the election was widely believed to be rigged. In his inaugural speech on May 1, Dr. Argüello said that he would not be a mere figurehead, which angered Gen. Somoza. On May 26, Gen. Somoza led a coup that deposed Dr. Argüello, who fled to exile at the Mexican embassy. After six months, Dr. Argüello moved to Mexico, and died in Mexico City after a brief illness.

War
The Allied Conference of Foreign Ministers ended in London after failing to agree on terms of the German and Austrian peace treaties; no new meeting date was set. The U.S.S.R. announced the withdrawal of its troops from Bulgaria under the peace treaty.

Defense
Admiral Louis Denfeld became U.S. chief of naval operations, as Admiral Chester Nimitz retired.

Politics and government
The Progressive Citizens of America executive council called on former U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace to become a third-party candidate for President of the United States in 1948.

Academia
U.S. President Harry Truman's 28-man Committee on Higher Education submitted a report urging the immediate abandonment of racial segregation and racial and religious quotas in U.S. colleges. The report also proposed increased federal aid to double college enrollment by 1960 and establish a network of community colleges.

Labour
Amos Ignacio, President of the Congress of Industrial Organizations International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Sugar Workers Union in Hawaii, announced his withdrawal from the CIO because of alleged Communist leadership. He and 4,000 followers planned to form a Union of Hawaiian Workers.

The Japanese cabinet announced a 40% cost-of-living increase in the wages of government workers, effective January 1, 1948.

60 years ago
1957


On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Deadly, starring Phyllis Thaxter and Lee Philips

Politics and government
Venezuelan President Marcos Perez Jiminez won an overwhelming vote of confidence in a plebiscite that returned him to office for a five-year term.

Football
NFL
Cleveland (9-2-1) 34 @ New York (7-5) 28
Pittsburgh (5-6) 3 @ Washington (5-6-1) 10
Detroit (8-4) 21 @ Chicago Bears (5-7) 13
Green Bay (3-9) 20 @ San Francisco (8-4) 27
Baltimore (7-5) 21 @ Los Angeles (6-6) 37



50 years ago
1967


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees (3rd week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 10 (CJCA)
1 Daydream Believer--The Monkees (3rd week at #1)
2 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
3 (Alone) In My Room--Willie & the Walkers
4 (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees
5 Next Plane to London--The Rose Garden
6 Ten Little Indians--The Yardbirds
7 Incense and Peppermints--Strawberry Alarm Clock
8 Child of Clay--Jimmie Rodgers
9 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
10 Soul Man--Sam & Dave
Pick hit of the week: Love Me Two Times--The Doors
New this week: Bird Without Wings--3's a Crowd
Deep in the Night--The Candymen
The Lesson--Vikki Carr
Weakness in a Man--Brook Benton
If I Could Build My Whole World Around You--Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Politics and government
The Danish Social Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag fell after Parliament voted 92-85 with 2 abstentions to reject a bill, tied to a vote of non-confidence, to postpone a wage increase for workers scheduled for 1968; Mr. Krag then resigned and called a general election for January 23, 1968.

Disasters
46 people died when the Silver Bridge in Point Pleasant, West Virginia collapsed while it was full of rush-hour traffic. The disaster has been connected with alleged sightings of the large, winged creature known as the Mothman.

Boxing
Former world middleweight champion Emile Griffith (54-8) scored a technical knockout of Remo Golfarini (15-2) in the 6th round at Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome; Mr. Golfarini's second entered the ring as he was being counted out.

Former world welterweight champion Luis Rodriguez (84-6) won a unanimous 10-round decision over Bennie Briscoe (23-5-1) in a middleweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York.

40 years ago
1977


On television tonight
James at 15, starring Lance Kerwin, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Apple Tree, the Singing and the Gold

Class of '65, starring Tony Bill, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Class Hustler

Crime
Retired California Superior Court Judge Lee Duga convicted brothers Richard Schoenfeld, 26, and James Schoenfeld, 23, along with Frederick Woods, 26, of "causing bodily harm" to 3 of 26 children whom they admitted kidnapping aboard a school bus in Chowchilla, California on July 15, 1976. The ruling, after a 16-day, judge-only trial in Oakland, required life imprisonment of all three criminals without possibility of parole.

30 years ago
1987


Died on this date
Ray Malavasi, 57
. U.S. football coach. Mr. Malavasi was an assistant coach with several American Football League and National Football League clubs, and was twice named as a head coach to replace one who'd been fired. In 1966, Mac Speedie was fired as coach of the Denver Broncos of the AFL after the sedond game of the season. Mr. Malavasi was head coach for the remainder of the season, coaching the Broncos to a 4-8 record over the final 12 games. In 1978, George Allen was fired after 2 pre-season games as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL; Mr. Malavasi took over as the team's head coach and remained in that position through 1982. The Rams posted a 12-4 record to finish first in the National Football Conference West Division in 1978, but were embarrassed 28-0 by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC championship game. The Rams were just 9-7 in 1979, but finished first in their division and advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in their history, losing 31-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1980 the Rams were 11-5, finishing second in the NFC West and losing to the Cowboys in the wild card playoff game. Mr. Malavasi was fired after the Rams dropped to 6-10 in 1981 and 2-7 in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Mr. Malavasi's career regular season record as a head coach in the AFL and NFL was 44-41. He also served two seasons (1967-1968) as an assistant coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. The defense that he coached in 1967 didn't allow a touchdown in their last 6 games, including a 24-1 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup. Mr. Malavasi died of a heart attack in Los Angeles.

20 years ago
1997


Hit parade
Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Tubthumping--Chumbawumba (6th week at #1)
2 Sweet Surrender--Sarah McLachlan
3 Walkin' on the Sun--Smash Mouth
4 The Sound Of--Jann Arden
5 3 AM--Matchbox 20
6 I Do--Lisa Loeb
7 Back to You--Bryan Adams
8 Show Me Love--Robyn
9 As Long as You Love Me--Backstreet Boys
10 Surrounded--Chantal Kreviazuk

Singles entering the chart were Shoulder of the Road by Barney Bentall (#84); Promise Ain't Enough by Daryl Hall and John Oates (#85); Kiss the Rain by Billie Meyers (#90); Lollipop by Aqua (#91); Shine by Junkhouse (#93); and With These Eyes by Roch Voisine (#96).

Disasters
Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183, a Tupolev Tu-154B-1 en route from Khujand, Tajikistan, crashed in the desert while on approach to Sharjah Airport, United Arab Emirates, killing all 79 passengers and 6 of seven crew members.

Football
CFL
The Edmonton Eskimos named Kay Stephenson as head coach, replacing Ron Lancaster, who had resigned after 7 seasons to become head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Mr. Stephenson, a former quarterback in the American Football League and the World Football League, had compiled a record of 28-27-1 as head coach of the Sacramento Gold Miners/San Antonio Texans from 1993-1995, leading the Texans to a 12-6 record and a berth in the Southern Final in 1995.

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