December 27, 2017

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Marilyn Draper and Ana!

125 years ago
1892

Born on this date
Eddie McKay. Canadian military aviator. Captain McKay, a native of Brussels, Ontario, was a flying ace with the U.K. Royal Flying Corps in World War I. He recorded 10 combat victories before being fatally shot down over Belgium on December 28, 1917, the day after his 25th birthday.

120 years ago
1897

Transportation
The Québec, Montréal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway opened between Montréal and Hull via Lachute, Québec.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Ottawa Capitals 2 @ Montreal Victorias 15

The Victorias, champions of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada and defending Stanley Cup champions, routed the Capitals, champions of the Central Canada Hockey Association, at Victoria Rink in what was to be the first game of a best-of-three challenge series. The Victorias were so obviously the better team that the remainder of the series was cancelled.

100 years ago
1917

Born on this date
Buddy Boudreaux. U.S. musician. Mr. Boudreaux was a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader who was known for performing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in a career that spanned more than 70 years. He co-wrote My Baton Rouge, the city's official song. Mr. Boudreaux died on June 13, 2015 at the age of 97.

90 years ago
1927

Theatre
Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical play, with music by Jerome Kern and libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II, opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway in New York City.

Journalism
The London Daily Mail newspaper published the world's first wire photo, the invention of Winnipeg-born engineer William Stephenson, later know as Intrepid, head of British security in North America during World War II.

Economics and finance
The United States removed the embargo on the export of aircraft to Mexico that had been in effect since January 7, 1924.

75 years ago
1942

War
The German military formed the "Smolensk Committee," an attempt to persuade Soviet prisoners of war to fight for the Nazis against the Soviets. U.S.S.R. forces continued to advance on the Don River front, the Stalingrad front, and in the Nalchik area. U.S. heavy bombers made night raids on Bangkok, hitting the airfield and naval dock area.

Economics and finance
U.S. Food Administrator Claude Wickard ordered Price Administrator Leon Henderson to institute rationing of virtually all canned, dried, frozen, and dehydrated vegetables, fruits, and soups in February 1943.

Disasters
A troop train with 13 coaches plowed into the rear of a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train at Almonte, Ontario, about 135 miles west of Ottawa, killing 36 people and injuring 155. The accident was caused by a lack of automatic signals.

Football
NFL
All-Star Game @ Shibe Park, Philadelphia
All-Stars 17 Washington 14

The All-Stars, coached by Hunk Anderson of the Chicago Bears, edged the champion Redskins before 18,671 fans in the fourth and final game to pit the NFL All-Stars against the recent league champions.

70 years ago
1947

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard) (Best Seller): Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra (3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 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
--Woody Herman and his Orchestra
2 Ballerina--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Buddy Clark
--Bing Crosby with the Rhythmaires
3 You Do--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Margaret Whiting
--Dinah Shore
--Vic Damone
4 Too Fat Polka (I Don’t Want Her) (You Can Have Her) (She’s Too Fat for Me)--Arthur Godfrey
5 Near You--Francis Craig and his Orchestra
--Larry Green and his Orchestra
--The Andrews Sisters
--Alvino Rey and his Orchestra
--Elliot Lawrence and his Orchestra
6 Golden Earrings--Peggy Lee
7 How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Jack Owens
--Bing Crosby and Carmen Cavallaro
--Dinah Shore
8 --And Mimi--Art Lund
--Dick Haymes
9 Serenade of the Bells--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
10 I Wish I Didn't Love You So--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
--Dinah Shore
--Dick Haymes
--Betty Hutton

Singles entering the chart were the version of Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo) by Woody Herman and his Orchestra; the version of Ballerina by Bing Crosby with the Rhythmaires; the version of Serenade of the Bells by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra; Surprise Symphony by Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra (#20); (I’m A-Comin’ A-Courtin’) Corabelle, with versions by Frankie Carle and his Orchestra, and Eddy Howard and his Orchestra (#33); At the Candlelight Cafe, with versions by Dinah Shore, and the Three Suns (#36); and Peggy O'Neil, with versions by Frankie Carle and his Orchestra, and Jack Smith with the Clark Sisters (#38).

On television today
The children's program The Howdy Doody Show debuted on NBC.

World events
A Warsaw court handed down death sentences for Waclaw Lipinski and Wlodzimierz Narszewski, leaders of underground resistance to the Communist-dominated government.

Nationalist Chinese General Feng Yu-hsiang rejected an order from Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to return to China from a tour of the United States, claiming that Mr. Chiang planned to have him killed.

Politics and government
France's Popular Republican Movement, led by Robert Schuman and Georges Bidault, formally joined with Socialists, Radicals, and moderate independent parties to form the "third force," an alignment aimed at blocking capture of the government by Communists or Gaullists.

The Greek government banned the Communist Party and the Communist militia organization EAM (National Liberation Front).

Pakistani United Nations representative Mohammed Khan was appointed Foreign Minister and Commonwealth Relations Minister.

The U.S. Civil Service Loyalty Review Board announced its standards for testing federal employees, promising to avoid a "witch hunt," but denying political suspects the right to confront their accusers, cross-examine witnesses, or inspect Federal Bureau of Investigation reports.

Economics and finance
The United Kingdom signed a trade agreement with the U.S.S.R., providing for exchange of Soviet grain and British machinery, and reduction of interest on the U.S.S.R.'s $216-million World War II debt to the U.K.

60 years ago
1957

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Only You (And You Alone)--The Platters (7th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Mary's Boy Child--Harry Belafonte (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Harbor Command, starring Wendell Corey
Tonight's episode: Floating Transmitter

Died on this date
Otto Nuschke, 74. German politician. Mr. Nuschke helped to establish the German Democratic Party in 1918, and was Deputy Prime Minister of East Germany from 1949 until his death.

Labour
The Court of Appeal of Quebec ruled unanimously 7-0 in declaring the Rand Formula illegal; the formula allowed a union representing the employees in a bargaining unit to require the employer to withhold union dues payable on a mandatory basis by all staff members of this bargaining unit, even those who were not part of the union.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 The Last Waltz--Engelbert Humperdinck (9th week at #1)
2 Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen
3 Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus--The Beatles
4 (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees
5 The Way They Play/Cathy Come Home--The Twilights
6 The Two of Us--Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch
7 You've Not Changed--Sandie Shaw
8 My Prayer/Don't Let Your Left Hand Know--The Vibrants
9 There's Always Me/Judy--Elvis Presley
10 Itchycoo Park--Small Faces

Singles entering the chart were Daydream Believer/Goin' Down by the Monkees (#16); World/Sir Geoffrey Saved the World by the Bee Gees (#27); Wild Honey by the Beach Boys (#35); and I'm Coming Home by Tom Jones (#39).

Died on this date
Percy Hodge, 67. U.K. runner. Mr. Hodge won a gold medal in the men's 3000-metre steeplechase event at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp. He died the day after his 67th birthday.

Paul Lehner, 47. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Lehner was an outfielder with the St. Louis Browns (1946-1949, 1951); Philadelphia Athletics (1950-1951); Chicago White Sox (1951); Cleveland Indians (1951); and Boston Red Sox (1952), batting .257 with 22 home runs and 197 runs batted in in 540 games. After tying a record by playing with four American League teams in 1951, he played with four minor league teams--Oakland Oaks (Pacific Coast League); Seattle Rainiers (PCL); Toronto Maple Leafs (International League); and Indianapolis Indians (American Association)--in addition to 3 games with the Red Sox. Mr. Lehner ended his professional career with the Memphis Chicks of the AA Southern Association in 1953, and died of lymphoma.

Basketball
NBA
William "Red" Holzman was named head coach of the New York Knickerbockers, succeeding Dick McGuire, who was fired after the team started the season with a record of 15-22.

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Faith--George Michael (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: China in Your Hand--T'Pau (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: La Bamba--Los Lobos (11th week at #1)

Football
NFL
St. Louis (7-8) 16 @ Dallas (7-8) 21

36,788 fans at Texas Stadium saw the Cardinals play their last game before moving to Phoenix.

25 years ago
1992

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

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Kay Boyle, 90. U.S. writer. Miss Boyle wrote fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and was known for her liberal political activism. Her novels included Death of a Man (1936).

Football
NFL
Sterling Sharpe of the Green Bay Packers made six catches against the Minnesota Vikings, giving him a National Football League record of 108 receptions for the season.

20 years ago
1997

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Tubthumping--Chumbawumba

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): En Navidad--Rosana (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Savoir aimer--Florent Pagny (9th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Barbie Girl--Aqua (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Savoir aimer--Florent Pagny (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Too Much--Spice Girls

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight--Elton John (12th week at #1)

Died on this date
Brendan Gill, 83. U.S. journalist. Mr. Gill wrote for The New Yorker for more than 60 years on various subjects, including theatre.

Billy Wright, 37. Northern Irish terrorist. Mr. Wright was associated with the Mid-Ulster Brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force, and was said to have been involved in the killings of as many as 20 Roman Catholics, although he was never charged in any of them. In 1997 he was convicted of threatening the life of a woman and was sentenced to Maze Prison, where he was shot to death by members of the Irish National Liberation Army.

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Minnesota 23 @ New York Giants 22



AFC Wild Card Playoff
Jacksonville 17 @ Denver 42







10 years ago
2007

Died on this date
Benazir Bhutto, 54. Prime Minister of Pakistan, 1983-1990, 1993-1996. Ms. Bhutto, the daughter of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, led the Pakistan People's Party from 1982 until her death, and was the first woman to lead a democratic government in a majority Muslim country. She was accused of corruption and spent several years in exile, but returned to Pakistan in 2007 with the intention of competing in the parliamentary elections scheduled for January 2008. Ms. Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi, Punjab, hours after meeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai there. She was waving at crowds from a car when she was shot by an assassin, who detonated a suicide vest. Pakistani authorities blamed the assassination on the Pakistan Taliban, but conspiracy theories abound.

Personal
This blogger began this blog.

Politics and government
Party of National Unity candidate Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the Kenyan presidential election, narrowly defeating Orange Democratic Movement candiate Raila Odinga. The ODM led in elections for the National Assembly, taking 99 of 208 seats, to 43 for the PNU. Riots erupted in Mombasa after the result of the presidential election was announced, triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis.