December 26, 2017

180 years ago
1837

Born on this date
George Dewey. U.S. military officer. Commodore Dewey led the United States Navy to victory over Spain in the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War in 1898, which was largely responsible for the U.S.A. gaining recognition as a major naval power. He died on January 16, 1917 at the age of 79.

130 years ago
1887

Politics and government
David Harrison was sworn in as Premier of Manitoba, replacing John Norquay; Mr. Harrison was technically a "non-partisan" Premier, but his ministry was closely aligned with the national Conservative Party of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald and was dominated by local Conservatives. Mr. Harrison resigned on January 19, 1888 after his support evaporated.

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Don Barclay. U.S. actor and artist. Mr. Barclay was a character and voice actor whose movie career spanned more than 50 years. He was more successful as a caricaturist, especially of celebrities. Mr. Barclay died on October 16, 1975 at the age of 82.

100 years ago
1917

Transportation
The U.S. government took over operation of the nation's railroads.

Hockey
NHL
Montreal Canadiens 5 @ Toronto 7

Harry Cameron became the first defenseman to score 4 goals in a game, and the first National Hockey League player to achieve a "Gordie Howe hat trick"--a goal, an assist, and a fight--as he helped the Arenas defeat the Canadiens at Arena Gardens.

90 years ago
1927

Crime
The bruised and strangled body of Chicago widow and apartment house owner Mrs. Amelia Appleby was found sewn in a sack just outside Los Angeles. Dr. Charles M. McMillan, an employee, was convicted by a jury in Los Angeles of murder on February 24, 1928, and four days later was sentenced to life in prison.

75 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): White Christmas--Bing Crosby (9th week at #1)

Died on this date
William Slocum Barstow, 76. U.S. inventor. Mr. Barstow was an associate of Thomas Edison.

Bonnier de la Chapelle, 20. French assassin. Mr. de la Chapelle was executed by a firing squad in Algiers, two days after assassinating French Prime Minister Jean-Francois Darlan.

War
Russian troops drove to within 105 miles of Rostov on the central Don River front and to within 20 miles of Kotelnikovo, southwest of Stalingrad. Swedish sources reported that Germany planned to draft an auxiliary army of 2.5 million men from occupied countries.

Politics and government
The French Imperial Council in Algiers elected General Henri Honore Giraud as French High Commissioner in Africa.

Football
NCAA
Blue-Grey Game
South 24 North 0

70 years ago
1947

At the movies
The Senator was Indiscreet, directed by George S. Kaufman and starring William Powell, Ella Raines, and Peter Lind Hayes, opened in theatres.



War
The Greek Army repelled an attack by 2,000 guerrillas on the road centre of Konitsa near the Albanian border, wanted as a capital by the Communist provisional government.

Speaking in his own defense at the Tokyo war crimes trial, former Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo claimed that war was justified in 1941 because U.S. and U.K. military and economic pressure had brought Japan "to the point of annihilation." He accepted responsibility for Japan's defeat, but denied any war guilt.

Politics and government
Ukrainian Premier Nikita Khrushchev was renamed to his former post of Ukrainian Communist Party Secretary, succeeding Lazar Kaganovich, newly appointed deputy chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers.

Exploration
An Australian Antarctic expedition set up a base and weather station on Heard Island.

Law
The Argentine Supreme Court ruled that membership in the Communist Party was not sufficient reason for cancelling naturalized citizenship.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Harry Truman named State Secretary George Marshall to supervise the administration of $522 million appropriated for aid to France, Italy, and Austria.

The Bulgarian National Assembly extended its nationalization decree to banks and other financial institutions.

Weather
Heavy snow blanketed the northeastern United States, burying New York City under 25.8 inches of snow in 16 hours; the severe weather was blamed for some 80 deaths.

Disasters
A typhoon struck Manila and eastern Luzon in the Philippines, causing 49 deaths.

60 years ago
1957

At the movies
Stopover Tokyo, directed by Richard L. Breen, and starring Robert Wagner, Joan Collins, and Edmond O'Brien, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
Delegations from 40 African, Asian, and Middle East nations met in Cairo for an Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Conference, designed to supplement the work of the 1955 Bandung Conference of Asian-African countries.

Dutch diplomatic spokesmen announced that most of the 46,000 Dutch citizens in Indonesia would be evacuated to Holland within the next month.

Politics and government
Former Soviet Machine Construction Minister Yekaterina Furtseva, the only woman on the Communist Party Presidium, resigned her position as Moscow City Communist Party Committee First Secretary to assume new work in the party Secretariat.

50 years ago
1967

On television tonight
The Invaders, starring Roy Thinnes, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Task Force

Magical Mystery Tour, written and directed by, and starring the Beatles, on BBC1

This made-for-television film was shown in black and white in its initial telecast, which may have contributed to the negative reviews it received. It was first shown in its original colour form on BBC2 on January 5, 1968.

Boxing
Buster Mathis (23-0) scored a technical knockout of Gerry de Bruyn (20-7-2) just 36 seconds into the 1st round of a heavyweight bout at Frolundaborg in Gotehenburg, Sweden.



40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Mull of Kintyre--Wings (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): UFO--Pink Lady (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Oxygène (Part 4)--Jean Michel Jarre (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Howard Hawks, 81. U.S. movie director. Mr. Hawks directed some of the most memorable movies in history in a career spanning more than 40 years. His films included Sergeant York (1941); The Big Sleep (1946); Red River (1948); and Rio Bravo (1959).

Diplomacy
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin concluded their two-day summit in Ismalia, Egypt produced no declaration of principles for establishing peace in the Middle east, but both men said in separate statements that they felt progress had been made. The traditional stumbling blocks of Israeli troop withdrawal from occupied lands and the establishment of a Palestinian state (which Mr. Sadat called the "crux of the problem") were not resolved, but both sides pledged to continue discussions. Mr. Sadat also announced the upgrading of the procedural conference in Cairo to foreign minister status, and said that two joint committees would begin work in January 1978 on substantive military and political issues. Mr. Begin, who called the summit "successful," presented a 26-point peace plan to Mr. Sadat, which was approved by the Israeli Knesset on December 28.

Hockey
NHL
Super Series '78
Pardubice 1 @ Philadelphia 6

The Flyers easily beat Pardubice at the Spectrum in the first game of an exhibition series between National Hockey League clubs and the Czechoslovakian clubs Pardubice and Kladno and the Soviet club Spartak. The game was televised in Canada on CBC.

Football
NFL
NFC Divisional Playoffs
Chicago 7 @ Dallas 37

See video.

Minnesota 14 @ Los Angeles 7

See video.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: La Bamba--Los Lobos (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Faith--George Michael (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): My Baby Just Cares for Me--Nina Simone

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Fairytale of New York--The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): When I Fall in Love--Rick Astley (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Faith--George Michael (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Faith--George Michael (3rd week at #1)
2 Is This Love--Whitesnake
3 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
4 So Emotional--Whitney Houston
5 Don't You Want Me--Jody Watley
6 Shake Your Love--Debbie Gibson
7 The Way You Make Me Feel--Michael Jackson
8 Catch Me (I'm Falling)--Pretty Poison
9 Valerie--Steve Winwood
10 Need You Tonight--INXS

Singles entering the chart were Rhythmm of Love by Yes (#76); Love Overboard by Gladys Knight and the Pips (#86); Twilight World by Swing Out Sister (#87); Live My Life by Boy George (#88); Burning Like a Flame by Dokken (#89); and Rain in the Summertime by Alarm (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Faith--George Michael (2nd week at #1)
2 Pop Goes the World--Men Without Hats
3 Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle
4 I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany
5 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
6 (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
7 When a Man Loves a Woman--Luba
8 Mony Mony (Live)--Billy Idol
9 So Emotional--Whitney Houston
10 Try--Blue Rodeo

Singles entering the chart were What Have I Done to Deserve This by Pet Shop Boys (with Dusty Springfield) (#84); I Live for Your Love by Natalie Cole (#88); Can't Stay Away from You by Gloria Estefan (#92); and True Love Will Find a Way by Patrick Norman (#95).

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Sekai jū no dare yori kitto--Miho Nakayama

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Because the Night--Co.Ro featuring Tarlisa (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Highland--One More Time (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy (11th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)
2 If I Ever Fall in Love--Shai
3 Rump Shaker--Wreckx-N-Effect
4 The (Elvis) Letter--Wayne Newton
5 In the Still of the Nite--Boyz II Men
6 I'd Die Without You--PM Dawn
7 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
8 Good Enough--Bobby Brown
9 Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap!
10 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton

Singles entering the chart were Mr. Wendal by Arrested Development (#57); Reminisce by Mary J. Blige (#61); I Got a Man by Positive K (#66); Ditty by Paperboy (#78); Steam by Peter Gabriel (#83); Don't Walk Away by Jade (#88); and Forever in Love by Kenny G (#97).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)
2 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton
3 Song Instead of a Kiss--Alannah Myles
4 Love Can Move Mountains--Celine Dion
5 Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses--U2
6 Keep the Faith--Bon Jovi
7 The Last Song--Elton John
8 Faithful--Go West
9 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
10 Never a Time--Genesis

Singles entering the chart were Saving Forever for You by Shanice (#78); Heading West by Mitsou (#84); No Mistakes by Patty Smyth (#88); If I Ever Fall in Love by Shai (#89); Be My Downfall by Del Amitri (#90); Little Bird by Annie Lennox (#92); N.Y.C. (Can You Believe this City) by Charles & Eddie (#93); Give it Up, Turn it Loose by En Vogue (#95); Behind the Sun by Red Hot Chili Peppers (#96); Tell the Truth by Jude Cole (#97); and You Ain't Thinking (About Me) by Sonia Dada (#98).

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): It's Like That--Run-D.M.C. vs Jason Nevins (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): I Will Come to You--Hanson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Perfect Day--Various Artists (5th week at #1)