December 23, 2017

150 years ago
1867

Born on this date
Madam C. J. Walker. U.S. businesswoman. Madam Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, founded the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company in 1906, which made beauty and hair care products for Negro women. She died of kidney failure and complications of hypertension on May 25, 1919 at the age of 51 and was eulogized as the first self-made millionaire Negress in the United States, but Madam Walker claimed in an interview in 1917 that she wasn't a millionairess, but hoped to become one. Had she lived longer, she may have succeeded.

125 years ago
1892

Politics and government
French political leaders Georges Clemenceau and M. Deroulede fought a bloodless duel.

110 years ago
1907

Born on this date
James Roosevelt. U.S. politician. Mr. Roosevelt was the oldest son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and served as his secretary from 1937-1938. James was chairman of the California Democratic Party (1946-1948), and represented California's 26th District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1955-1965). He died on August 13, 1991 at the age of 83.

90 years ago
1927

Disasters
The Dawn, a hydroplane carrying Lieutenant Oskar Omdal of Sweden; Mrs. Frances Grayson; Brice Goldsborough; and Fred Koehler, left Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York, bound for Europe via Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, but never arrived. The crew of the British schooner Rose Anne Belliveau said that they heard a plane fall into the sea at 7:30 P.M. on December 23, in a snow and sleet storm 18 miles off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A search conducted off the coast a week later by a dirigible and two destroyers found no trace of the missing plane.

75 years ago
1942

War
U.S. Army Brigadier General Claire Chennault was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. The Soviet government reported the capture of an additional 16,400 German troops and the killing of 8,000 more in the offensive on the middle Don River front. In their drive into Burma, U.K. troops occupied another district just over the Burma border from the Indian province of Bengal.

Economics and finance
U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Mexican Ambassador to the United States signed a trade pact in Washington abolishing quota systems on U.S. imports of crude and fuel oils.

U.S. War Production Board Chairman Robert Nelson reported that U.S. steel production was at an annual rate of 89 million tons and would rise to 97 million tons by the summer of 1943.

70 years ago
1947

War
Acting on the recommendation of his three-man Amnesty Board, U.S. President Harry Truman granted pardons to 1,523 men convicted during World War II of violating the Selective Service Act. All but three had already served their prison sentences.

Defense
Following Panamanian repudiation of the December 10 agreement on military installations, the United States announced that it would begin immediate evacuation of all bases in Panama outside the Canal Zone.

Politics and government
Roman Catholic political leader Jakob Kaiser resigned as chairman of the Christian Democratic Union in the Soviet zone of Germany, and set up an "exile" political headquarters in the British sector of Berlin.

Technology
The transistor was first demonstrated by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations United Shoe Workers dropped its demand for a 15c hourly wage increase for 12,000 workers because of the depressed condition of the shoe industry.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): April Love/When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano--Pat Boone (Best Seller--1st week at #1); April Love--Pat Boone (Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1); You Send Me--Sam Cooke (Top 100--2nd week at #1)

At the movies
Count Five and Die, directed by Victor Vicas, and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Nigel Patrick, and Annemarie Duringer, received its premiere screening in London.



World events
Egyptian President Gamal Nasser announced the suppression of the "imperialist" plot against his government. The plot was led by officials closely associated with former King Farouk.

Defense
North Atlantic Treaty Organization sources disclosed that U.S. missile deliveries to Western Europe would not begin for two years.

USS Skate, the third U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, was commissioned at General Dynamics Corporation's Electric Boat Division dock in Groton, Connecticut.

Politics and government
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower named John Hannah as chairman of the new Civil Rights Commission, and appointed former Florida Governor Doyle Carlton to the commission.

Disasters
A cyclone hit the northern coast of Ceylon, compounding the already critical flooding conditions in the northern part of the country.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen

#1 single in France: Dans une Heure--Sheila (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): L'ora dell'amore--I Camaleonti (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Treat Me Daughter Kindly--Pat Lynch (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Daydream Believer--The Monkees (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Daydream Believer--The Monkees (4th week at #1)
2 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
3 I Second that Emotion--Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
4 I Heard it Through the Grapevine--Gladys Knight & the Pips
5 The Rain, the Park and Other Things--The Cowsills
6 Chain of Fools--Aretha Franklin
7 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
8 You Better Sit Down Kids--Cher
9 Bend Me, Shape Me--The American Breed
10 Boogaloo Down Broadway--Fantastic Johnny C

Singles entering the chart were Little Becky's Christmas Wish by Becky Lamb (#69); Explosion in My Soul by the Soul Survivors (#74); The Lesson by Vikki Carr (#78); Darlin' by the Beach Boys (#80); Lost by Jerry Butler (#83); To Give (The Reason I Live) by Frankie Valli (#85); Skip a Rope by Henson Cargill (#87); Pick Up the Pieces by Carla Thomas (#89); Little Drummer Boy by Lou Rawls (#93); We're a Winner by the Impressions (#94); United (Part 1) by the Music Makers (#97); Expecting to Fly by Buffalo Springfield (#99); and I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart (#100). The B-side of I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite was The Ambushers, the title song of the movie.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
2 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
3 (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees
4 Next Plane to London--The Rose Garden
5 I Heard it Through the Grapevine--Gladys Knight & the Pips
6 Lazy Day--Spanky and Our Gang
7 Stag-O-Lee--Wilson Pickett
8 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
9 Skinny Legs and All--Joe Tex
10 She's My Girl--The Turtles

Singles entering the chart were Monterey by Eric Burdon & the Animals (#77); Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You by the Lettermen (#86); Good Combination by Sonny and Cher (#89); In the Misty Moonlight by Dean Martin (#90); Two Little Kids by Peaches and Herb (#92); My Baby Must Be a Magician by the Marvelettes (#93); A Voice in the Choir by Al Martino (#94); Hooray for the Salvation Army Band by Bill Cosby (#95); Devil with a Blue Dress On by Jamieson Roberts (#96); Home from the Forest by Ronnie Hawkins (#97); Am I that Easy to Forget by Engelbert Humperdinck (#98); A Little Rain Must Fall by Epic Splendor (#99); and Expecting to Fly by Buffalo Springfield (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen
2 Love of the Common People--Wayne Newton
3 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
4 Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus--The Beatles
5 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
6 Do Unto Others/Peace of Mind--Paul Revere and the Raiders
7 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
8 Beautiful People--Bobby Vee and the Strangers
9 Different Drum--Stone Poneys
10 Bend Me, Shape Me--The American Breed

Singles entering the chart were Who Will Answer? by Ed Ames (#22); Home from the Forest by Ronnie Hawkins (#25); I Can Tell by the Youngbloods (#28); Love Me Two Times by the Doors (#29); and Baby, Now that I've Found You by the Foundations (#30).

Diplomacy
U.S. President Lyndon Johnson, who had attended the previous day's funeral of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt in Melbourne, visited U.S. servicemen in Thailand and South Vietnam. He then stopped in Pakistan before flying to Rome for talks with Italian President Giuseppe Saragat and Prime Minister Aldo Moro and conferring with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican.

Football
NFL
Western Conference Championship
Los Angeles 7 Green Bay 28 @ Milwaukee



NCAA
Bluebonnet Bowl @ Houston
Colorado 31 University of Miami 21

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Yes Sir, I Can Boogie--Baccara (19th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood--Santa Esmeralda (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France: Es la Nostalgia--Jairo (2nd week at #1)

Economics and finance
The Royal Canadian Mint postponed bringing in new, smaller pennies, after protests from owners of coin-operated vending machines.

Hockey
NHL
New York Islanders 5 @ Montreal 7

The Canadiens outlasted the Islanders at the Montreal Forum in a rare Friday Le soiree du hockey telecast on Radio-Canada.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Whenever You Need Somebody--Rick Astley (3rd week at #1)

At the movies
Good Morning, Vietnam, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robin Williams, opened in theatres in limited release.

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): House of Love--East 17 (5th week at #1)

Journalism
Queen Elizabeth II's annual Christmas message was leaked to a newspaper two days in advance, sparking an investigation.

Business
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved the $40.5-million sale of the Maclean Hunter Hamilton television station CHCH to Shaw Cablesystems and Western International Communications (WIC), and also approved the $308-million sale of Cablecasting Ltd. from controlling shareholder David Graham to Shaw Cablesystems of Edmonton.

A judge in Quebec ordered the real estate empire of Raymond Malenfant into bankruptcy. Mr. malenfant's holdings consisted of 15 hotels including the Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, plus six office buildings and two ski resorts.

20 years ago
1997

At the movies
As Good as it Gets, co-written, co-produced, an directed by James L. Brooks and starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Shirley Knight, opened in theatres.

Terrorism
A U.S. federal jury in Denver convicted Terry Nichols of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy for his role in the bombing at the Frederick P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 5 Edmonton 4

10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Michael Kidd, 92. U.S. choreographer. Mr. Kidd, born Milton Greenwald, was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, and won 5 from 1947-1959. He was awarded an honourary Academy Award in 1997 "in recognition of his services to the art of dance in the art of the screen" for his work in movies such as The Band Wagon (1953) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). His most notable acting roles in movies were in It's Always Fair Weather (1955) and Smile (1975). Mr. Kidd was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.

Oscar Peterson, 82. Canadian musician. Mr. Peterson, a native of Montreal, was one of the most famous and respected jazz pianists of the 20th century, winning eight Grammy Awards, including one for lifetime achievement. He also composed, and taught piano. Mr. Peterson died of kidney failure after years of declining health.

Abominations
An agreement was made for the Kingdom of Nepal to be abolished and the country to become a federal republic with the Prime Minister becoming head of state.