December 19, 2018

190 years ago
1828

Politics and government
U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun presented to the South Carolina House of Representatives the South Carolina Exposition and Protest to protest the Tariff of 1828. Mr. Calhoun, who had written the report anonymously, argued that a state had the right to reject federal law.

175 years ago
1843

Literature
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published in Great Britain.

170 years ago
1848

Died on this date
Emily Brontë, 30. U.K. authoress. Miss Brontë was the younger sister of Charlotte and the older sister of Anne, who also became famous writers. Emily was best known for her novel Wuthering Heights (1847). She caught a cold that developed into tuberculosis, and died three months after her beloved brother Branwell.

150 years ago
1868

Born on this date
Eleanor H. Porter. U.S. authoress. Mrs. Porter wrote novels and short stories for children and adults, but was best known for her children's novel Pollyanna (1913) and its 11 sequels. She died on May 21, 1920 at the age of 51.

100 years ago
1918

Born on this date
Professor Longhair. U.S. musician. Professor Longhair, whose real name was Henry Roeland "Roy" Byrd, was a New Orleans rhythm and blues pianist in the late 1940s and '50s, who influenced artist such as Fats Domino, Huey Smith, and Allen Toussaint. He dropped out of the limelight in the 1960s, but made a comeback as a jazz pianist in the 1970s. Professor Longhair died of a heart attack in his sleep at the age of 61 on January 30, 1980, in the midst of filming the documentary Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together (1982).

Lee Rich. U.S. television and film producer. Mr. Rich co-founded Lorimar Productions, Inc. in 1969. He produced several television series from the 1960s through the 1980s, most notably The Waltons (1972-1981) and Dallas (1978-1991), winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 1973 for The Waltons. Mr. Rich's movie productions included The Man (1972) and The Choirboys (1977). He died of lung cancer on May 24, 2012 at the age of 93.

Journalism
Robert Ripley 's first Believe It or Not! cartoon, originally titled Champs and Chumps, appeared in The New York Globe.

90 years ago
1928

Died on this date
J. Hartley Manners, 58. U.K.-born U.S. playwright. Mr. Manners, a native of London, wrote more than two dozen plays, including The House Next Door; The Patriot; One Night in Rome; and Zira (with Henry Miller). He was best known for the stage (1912) and screen (1922) versions of Peg o' My Heart, both of which starred his wife Laurette Taylor. He died of esophageal cancer.

Silvio Hein, 49. U.S. songwriter. Mr. Hein wrote the music for songs such as He's a Cousin of Mine (1906); You're All Dressed Up and No Place to Go (1913); Twas in September (1914); and Some Little Bug is Going to Find You (1915). He was one of nine co-founders of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1914. Mr. Hein died of tuberculosis.

Exploration
Captain Sir Hubert Wilkins radioed that during a 1,200-mile flight lasting 9 hours 25 minutes, made in a land plane from Deception Island, that he had been able to establish that Graham Island was separated from the South Polar continent by an ice-filled channel.

Sport
John Layton of Sedalia, Missouri won the world three-cushion billiards championship in Chicago by defeating Willie Hoppe of New York 50-23. It required only 24 innings--a record performance for world's championship play--for Mr. Layton to run out the required total.

75 years ago
1943

War
A Soviet offensive in northern White Russia drove a wedge almost 19 miles deep and 50 miles wide into the German line guarding the Baltic states. Allied Commander of Southeast Asia Lord Louis Mountbatten merged the American and British air forces under Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Pierse.

Literature
The Doubleday, Doran publishing firm announced the establishment of the George Washington Carver Memorial Award of $2,500 to be given for any book dealing with American Negroes "which seems to be worthy of this special recognition."

Football
NFL
Eastern Conference playoff
Washington 28 @ New York 0

The Redskins blanked the Giants at the Polo Grounds in a playoff for the Eastern Division title that was necessary because the teams had finished with identical regular season records of 6-3-1. The Redskins advanced to the NFL championship game against the Western Division champion Chicago Bears. Because of the East Division playoff, the championship game at Wrigley Field in Chicago was postponed by a week to its latest date yet, December 26.

70 years ago
1948

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley and George Spelvin (Wendell Holmes), on MBS
Tonight's episode: The Speckled Band

Movies
Film Daily's annual review of America's reviewers named Gentleman's Agreement, originally released in 1947, as the best film of 1948.

Literature
The New York Herald Tribune listed The Big Fisherman by Lloyd C. Douglas as the best-selling fiction book, and Crusade in Europe by Dwight D. Eisenhower as the best-selling non-fiction book.

War
Dutch troops, in a quick attack, captured the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, and interned President Ahmed Sukarno and other Indonesian political leaders.

Religion
The U.S. National Conference of Christians and Jews named actress Irene Dunne as the person "who has done most in 1948 to promote better understanding of people of all faiths."

Economics and finance
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan General Douglas MacArthur issued a directive ordering the Japanese government to implement the U.S. State Department's austerity recommendations, stating that Japan must temporarily surrender "some of the privileges and immunities inherent in a free society."

Football
NFL
Championship
Chicago Cardinals 0 @ Philadelphia 7

Steve Van Buren rushed 26 times for 98 yards, and his 5-yard touchdown rush at 1:05 of the 4th quarter broke a 0-0 tie, and Cliff Patton converted, as the Eagles shut out the defending champion Cardinals to win their first National Football League championship. The game was played in a snowstorm that began at daybreak and continued throughout the game. Mr. Van Buren had difficulty making it to the game, as the weather forced him to take the bus, which barely made it on time. The winning touchdown was set up when the Eagles recovered a fumble by Chicago's Elmer Angsman on the Cardinals' 17-yard line late in the 3rd quarter. Later in the quarter, the Eagles were backed up with a third down and 16 yards to go on their own 8-yard line, but quarterback Tommy Thompson faked a pitchout to Mr. Van Buren and ran for 17 yards and the first down. The game ended with the Eagles in possession on the Cardinals' 5-yard line. The Eagles outrushed the Cardinals 225 yards to 96, with Mr. Van Buren toting the ball 26 times for 98 yards. Mr. Thompson completed just 2 of 12 passes for 7 yards and 2 interceptions, while Ray Mallouf, Charlie Trippi, and Charley Eikenburg of the Cardinals combined for just 3 completions in 11 pass attempts for 35 yards and one interception. While 36,309 tickets were sold, the weather kept some people away, and 28,864 actually showed up at Shibe Park. It was the first NFL championship game to be televised, with Harry Wismer calling play-by-play and Red Grange providing colour commentary on ABC.



AAFC
Championship
Buffalo 7 @ Cleveland 49

Marion Motley rushed 13 times for 133 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Browns to their rout of the Bills before only 22,981 fans at Municipal Stadium, winning their third straight All-America Football Conference championship and completing a perfect season, after winning all 14 regular season games. Edgar "Special Delivery" Jones rushed for a touchdown and caught a pass from Otto Graham for another, while George Young returned a fumble 18 yards for a TD in the 2nd quarter and Lou Saban returned an interception 39 yards with 3:11 remaining in the game for the other Cleveland touchdowns. Cleveland quarterback Otto Graham completed 11 of 24 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, while the Browns rushed 40 times for 215 yards. Jim Still completed a 10-yard pass to Al Baldwin with 4 seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter for the only Buffalo touchdown.





60 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): It's Only Make Believe--Conway Twitty

Space
The U.S. satellite SCORE (Signal Communications by Orbiting Relay Equipment) broadcast a recorded Christmas message from U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.



Defense
Former U.S. Army Sergeant Richard Corden, spokesman for the 21 U.S. prisoners of war from the Korean War who had chosen to remain in Communist China, crossed into Hong Kong en route to the United States.

World events
The Nepalese government reported that large numbers of Khamba tribesmen, leaders of a guerrilla uprising against Chinese Communist rule in eastern Tibet, were crossing into Nepal as refugees.

Crime
A U.S. district court in Boston convicted industrialist Bernard Goldfine and his secretary of contempt of court for not obeying an earlier court order to produce records of one of his textile mills in a tax investigation.

Agriculture
The Soviet Communist Party Central Committee endorsed the agricultural policies of Premier Nikita Khrushchev, particularly his virgin land development program.

Labour
American Airlines operations were halted by an Airline Pilots Association strike, following an 18-month dispute over wages and working conditions.

50 years ago
1968

Died on this date
Norman Thomas, 84. U.S. politician. Mr. Thomas was a liberal Presbyterian minister and pacifist who left the pastorate shortly after preaching against American involvement in World War I. He soon joined the Socialist Party of America, and ran unsuccessfully for various offices. He was the party's U.S. presidential candidate in six consecutive elections from 1928-1948. Mr. Thomas supported democratic socialism and opposed Communism, especially Stalinism. He initially opposed U.S. intervention in World War II, but reluctantly supported U.S. involvement after the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Mr. Thomas supported birth control and racial integration, and opposed Zionism, and remained active in opposing war until his death.

War
The release of 11 American and 1 South Vietnamese soldier, captured five months earlier when their supply boat strayed into Cambodia from Vietnam on the Mekong River, was announced by Cambodia's Prince Norodom Sihanouk, who later disclosed the release of a U.S. helicopter gunner, who had been captured when he fell or jumped from his craft on November 27 and was still hospitalized with a leg injury. The U.S. command in Vietnam disclosed that since January 1, 1961, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese combat deaths totalled 425,329.

Defense
The United States detonated a one-megaton thermonuclear bomb unerground at Pahute Mesa, Nevada.

40 years ago
1978

On television tonight
The Paper Chase, on CBS
Tonight's episode: An Act of Desperation



Scandal
The U.S. Senate Committee on Ethics charged Senator Herman Talmadge (Democrat--Georgia) with five "possible violations" of Senate rules. He was told in a letter that he would have to undergo a trial-like hearing on the charges, which included filing false campaign vouchers, submitting false expense accounts to the Senate, and improperly converting campaign contributions to personal use. The charges had been made in testimony to the committee by a former aide to Sen. Talmadge, Daniel Minchew, who claimed to have opened a secret bank account in 1973 to handle the transactions. Sen. Talmadge, in appearances before the panel and a federal grand jury, denied the charges.

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Don't Worry Be Happy--Bobby McFerrin (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You--Glenn Medeiros (5th week at #1)

Politics and government
Israel's Likud and Labour parties, neither of which had been able to win a majority in the Knesset in the November 1 general election, approved the December 19 agreement on a coalition that would see Likud leader Yitzhak Shamir serve as Prime Minister for four years, with Labour Party leader Shimon Peres shifting from Foreign Minister to Finance Minister. The agreement shut out the small religious parties, who had appeared to hold the balance of power after the election, and whose demands had angered many Jews, especially those in the U.S.A.

Premier Gary Filmon withdrew his resolution to ratify the Meech Lake constitutional accord from the Manitoba legislature to protest Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa's passage of Bill 178 mandating the use of only French on outside signs, but permitting bilingual signs indoors.

U.S. Vice President and President-elect George Bush named former Representative Jack Kemp (Republican--New York) as his nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in his forthcoming administration.

25 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: It Keeps Rainin' (Tears from My Eyes)--Bitty McLean (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Babe--Take That

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Mr Blobby--Mr Blobby

Died on this date
Michael Clarke, 47. U.S. musician. Mr. Clarke was the drummer with the Byrds (1964-1967); the Flying Burrito Brothers (1969-1971); and Firefall (1974-1981). He died of liver failure after three decades of heavy drinking.

20 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Mel Fisher, 76. U.S. treasure hunter. Mr. Fisher was a chicken farmer who turned to diving for sea treasures off the coast of Florida. His most notable success was the discovery in 1985 of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which had sunk in 1622; a cache worth $450 million was discovered, with more remaining to be found.

Scandal
The U.S. House of Representatives voted--virtually along party lines--to impeach President Bill Clinton on charges of perjury (228-206) and obstruction of justice (221-212). Another charge of perjury was rejected 229-205, and a charge of abuse of power was rejected 285-148.

Sport
Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach, Florida clinched his sixth Association of Surfing Professionals world championship in a Pipe Masters contest at the Banzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii.

Hockey
NHL
New York Rangers 4 @ Toronto 7

10 years ago
2008

Died on this date
Dock Ellis, 63. U.S. baseball pitcher. Mr. Ellis played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1968-1975, 1979); New York Yankees (1976-1977); Oakland Athletics (1977); Texas Rangers (1977-1979); and New York Mets (1979), compiling a 138-119 record with a 3.46 earned run average in 345 games. He was 19-9 with a 3.05 ERA in 1971, when he helped the Pirates win the World Series, and started for the National League in the major league All-Star Game. Mr. Ellis was a heavy user of drugs and alcohol for almost his entire career, and claimed that the no-hitter he pitched against the San Diego Padres on June 12, 1970 was under the influence of LSD. He gave up his bad habits after retiring from baseball in 1980, and was a drug and alcohol counsellor in later years. Mr. Ellis died of cirrhosis of the liver, the consequence of his earlier behaviour.