December 30, 2017

125 years ago
1892

Religion
The New York Presbytery of the U.S. Presbyterian Church, by majorities ranging from 7 to 21, voted to dismiss charges of heresy against Professor Briggs.

120 years ago
1897

Africana
The British colony of Natal annexed Zululand.

90 years ago
1927

Transportation
The Ginza Line, the first subway line in Asia, opened in Tokyo.

75 years ago
1942

War
U.K. Parliamentary Colonial Undersecretary Harold Macmillan was named by the British government as resident minister at Allied headquarters in French North Africa. Russian troops captured Remontnoe, 40 miles southwest of Elista, capital of the province of Kalmuck.

Diplomacy
At the request of President Juan Antonio Rios, the Chilean Senate postponed voting on a motion recommending a break in relations with the Axis.

Crime
French High Commissioner in Africa General H.H. Giraud announced in Algiers the arrest of 12 people for plotting to assassinate high French officials.

A U.S. federal jury in New York indicted four Negro leaders of the Ethiopian Pacific Movement of sedition for advocating a revolt against the United States.

Business
Henry J. Kaiser opened the U.S. Pacific Coast's first integrated iron and steel plant at Fontana, California.

Disasters
A sudden thaw and a three-day storm caused the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers to rise above flood levels, closing many plants in the Pittsburgh area and driving 5,000 people from their homes.

70 years ago
1947

Died on this date
Alfred North Whitehead, 86. U.K.-born U.S. philosopher. Professor Whitehead and former student Bertrand Russell combined to write the three-volume Principia Mathematica (1910-1913), one of the most influential works in mathematical logic. Professor Whitehead moved to the United States in 1924 and joined the faculty of Harvard University, where his attention eventually turned to philosophy and metaphysics. Professor Whitehead was the defining figure of process philosophy, arguing that reality consists of processes rather than material objects, and that processes are best defined by their relations with other processes. The newspaper comic panel Our Boarding House contained an occasional character who was a professor named Alfred North Blankhead.

Han van Meegeren, 58. Dutch artist and forger. Mr. van Meegeren had limited success with his own paintings, but achieved great success as a forger of the paintings of Johannes Vermeer, making fools of the idiot art critics who thought the paintings were actual Vermeers, and even selling one of his forgeries to Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. Mr. van Meegeren was convicted on November 12, 1947 of forgery and fraud, and was sentenced to a year in prison; he suffered a heart attack on November 26, and died in hospital the day after another heart attack.

Augustin Zoroa Sanchez; Lucas Nunez Baos. Spanish political activists. Messrs. Sanchez and Baso were executed by the Spanish government after being accused of illegal underground activity.

Radio
The Hooperatings listed the most popular programs in the United States as Fibber McGee and Molly, followed by Jack Benny; Fred Allen; Charlie McCarthy; Radio Theatre; and Red Skelton.

Abominations
King Michael I of Romania, the last remaining monarch in eastern Europe, abdicated, claiming that the monarchy "does not correspond to the conditions of our state's life," and represented "a serious impediment to Romania's development." Parliament immediately voted to abolish the monarchy, and proclaimed a "People's Republic."

Terrorism
Palestinian Arabs killed 41 Jews in reprisal for the Irgun Zvai Leumi bombing of an oil refinery in Haifa, which had killed 6 people.

Crime
Former Burmese Prime Minister U Saw and eight associates were convicted in Rangoon and sentenced to death for the July 19, 1947 assassination of Prime Minister Aung San and six cabinet ministers.

Defense
Brazilian President Eurico Dutra signed a measure fixing the number of enlisted personnel in the peacetime armed forces at 172,000.

Politics and government
The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court ruling barring all-white primaries in South Carolina.

Economics and finance
General Lucius Clay of the U.S. military government in Germany urged elimination of trade and travel barriers between the American and French zones.

Energy
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ordered the reorganization and ultimate dissolution of Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, one of the nation's largest energy and transportation holding companies. The Commission also approved construction of a $104-million pipeline to carry natural gas from Texas to the Midwest.

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--2nd week at #1); April Love--Pat Boone (Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1; Top 100--1st week at #1)

Married on this date
Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister of Ghana, married Fathia Halen Ritzk, an Egyptian student, in Accra.

Diplomacy
U.S. envoy to the U.S.S.R. William Lacey and U.S.S.R. Ambassador to the U.S.A. Georgi Zarubin reached agreements "in principle" on an expanded program of cultural and scientific exchanges for 1958.

Defense
Boeing Aircraft Company in Seattle completed the first 2,000-mile-per-hour Bomarc interceptor missile under a $139-million U.S. Air Force contract.

Politics and government
Carlos Garcia took office as President of the Philippines.

Education
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a $1-billion, four-year program of federal aid to education "to meet the pressing demands of national security in the years ahead."

Society
New York Mayor Robert Wagner signed a bill banning racial or religious discrimination in private housing.

Labour
The Maltese Parliament approved a resolution favouring independence from the United Kingdom if the British government did not provide substitute employment for Maltese thrown out of work because of economy cuts in naval shipyard operations in Malta.

50 years ago
1967

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen (2nd week at #1_

#1 single in France: San Francisco--Johnny Hallyday

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): L'ora dell'amore--I Camaleonti (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): (The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts--The Bee Gees (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Treat Me Daughter Kindly--Pat Lynch (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
2 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
3 I Heard it Through the Grapevine--Gladys Knight & the Pips
4 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
5 Chain of Fools--Aretha Franklin
6 I Second that Emotion--Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
7 Bend Me, Shape Me--The American Breed
8 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
9 Boogaloo Down Broadway--Fantastic Johnny C
10 Snoopy's Christmas--The Royal Guardsmen

Singles entering the chart were She's a Rainbow by the Rolling Stones (#51); Tomorrow by Strawberry Alarm Clock (#71); Just as Much as Ever by Bobby Vinton (#79); Oh, How it Hurts by Barbara Mason (#86); I'm Coming Home by Tom Jones (#87); Foxey Lady by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (#91); Love is Blue (L’Amour est Bleu) by Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra (#92); Mockingbird by Aretha Franklin (#94); Up Tight, Good Man by Laura Lee (#97); Zabadak! by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich (#98); Break My Mind by Bobby Wood (#99); and Mr. Bus Driver by Bruce Channel (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)
2 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
3 Next Plane to London--The Rose Garden
4 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
5 She's My Girl--The Turtles
6 I Heard it Through the Grapevine--Gladys Knight & the Pips
7 Itchycoo Park--Small Faces
8 Stag-O-Lee--Wilson Pickett
9 By the Time I Get to Phoenix--Glen Campbell
10 Summer Rain--Johnny Rivers

Singles entering the chart were I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart (#71); Mockingbird by Aretha Franklin (#79); Darlin' by the Beach Boys (#87); Bird Without Wings by 3's a Crowd (#91); The Lesson by Vikki Carr (#92); Come See About Me by Jr. Walker & the All Stars (#93); Mr. Bus Driver by Bruce Channel (#94); Foxey Lady by the Jimi Hendrix Experience (#95); Shout by Lulu (#96); Here Comes Heaven by Eddy Arnold (#97); What a Strange Town by Jimmie Rodgers (#98); Something Missing by the Five Stairsteps and Cubie (#99); and Skip a Rope by Henson Cargill (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
2 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
3 Love of the Common People--Wayne Newton
4 Do Unto Others/Peace of Mind--Paul Revere and the Raiders
5 Different Drum--Stone Poneys
6 Bend Me, Shape Me--The American Breed
7 Hello Goodbye/I Am the Walrus--The Beatles
8 She's a Rainbow--The Rolling Stones
9 Wear Your Love Like Heaven--Donovan
10 What's it Gonna Be--Dusty Springfield

Singles entering the chart were Green Tambourine by the Lemon Pipers (#27); Tomorrow by Strawberry Alarm Clock (#28); I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart (#29); and Bird Without Wings by 3's a Crowd (#30).

Died on this date
Vincent Massey, 80. Governor-General of Canada, 1952-1959. Mr. Massey was a career diplomat before becoming Canada's first native-born Governor General, and became the country's first envoy with full diplomatic credentials to a foreign capital when he was appointed Canadian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States in 1926. He held that position until 1930, and then served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1935-1946 and as Canada's delegate to the League of Nations until 1936. As Governor General, Mr. Massey encouraged arts and culture, and recommended a distinctly Canadian honours system. He died while on holiday in London.

Charlie Conacher, 58. Canadian hockey player. Mr. Conacher, Joe Primeau, and Harvey "Busher" Jackson comprised the "Kid Line" with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the early 1930s, with Mr. Conacher on right wing. He played with the Maple Leafs (1929-38); Detroit Red Wings (1938-39); and New York Americans (1939-41), scoring 398 points on 225 goals and 173 assists in 459 regular season games and 17 goals and 18 assists in 49 playoff games. Mr. Conacher led the National Hockey League five times in goals, twice in scoring, and made the first or second All-Star team five times. He coached the Chicago Black Hawks from 1947-50, with little success. Mr. Conacher was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961, and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1975. He died of throat cancer, 10 days after his 58th birthday.

Messrs. Conacher and Massey both had famous brothers. Charlie's older brother Lionel Conacher was voted Canada's Athlete of the Half-Century in 1950, and younger brother Roy, like the others, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Vincent's younger brother Raymond Massey had a long and distinguished acting career; although he didn't become Governor General of Canada, he played a future President of the United States when he starred in Abe Lincoln in Illinois on stage (1938) and screen (1940).

Diplomacy
U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey arrived in Ivory Coast to begin a 13-day tour of Africa.

Football
NCAA
Gator Bowl @ Jacksonville
Penn State 17 Florida State 17

Sun Bowl @ El Paso, Texas
Texas @ El Paso 14 Mississippi 7

All-Star Shrine Game @ San Francisco
East 16 West 14

40 years ago
1977

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Yes Sir, I Can Boogie--Baccara (20th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood--Santa Esmeralda (7th week at #1)

#1 single in France: La Java de Broadway--Michel Sardou

Football
NCAA
Gator Bowl
Pittsburgh 34 Clemson 3

30 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Whenever You Need Somebody--Rick Astley (4th week at #1)

25 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): House of Love--East 17 (6th week at #1)

Law
Sue Rodriguez, a resident of Victoria who was terminally ill with Lou Gehrig's disease and wanted a doctor-assisted suicide, announced that she would appeal the previous day's British Columbia Supreme Court ruling that the Criminal Code of Canada ban on suicide aid did not violate her rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

20 years ago
1997

Abominations
Several hundred residents in four villages in Algeria were massacred by Islamist insurgents; survivors identified the leader of the assailants as Aoued Abdallah, called "Cheikh Noureddine," head of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) in western Algeria.