December 26, 2018

1,750 years ago
268

Died on this date
Dionysius. Roman Catholic Pope, 259-268. Dionysius succeeded Sixtus II and commenced reorganizing the Roman church, following the persecution under Emperor Valerian I and the edict of toleration by his successor Emperor Gallienus. Pope Dionysius was succeeded by Felix I.

1,600 years ago
418

Died on this date
Zosimus. Roman Catholic Pope, 417-418. Zosimus succeeded Innocent I on March 18, 417. He took part in jurisdictional disputes, and condemned Pelagianism after convening a synod on the issue, but was reported to have a fractious temper, which led to divisions among the clergy. Pope Zosimus was succeeded by Boniface I.

225 years ago
1793

War
The Second Battle of Wissembourg began in France between French forces commanded by General Lazare Hoche and an army of Austrians, Prussians, Bavarians, and Hessians led by General Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser.

125 years ago
1893

Born on this date
Mao Zedong. Chairman of the People's Republic of China, 1949-1976. Chairman Mao co-founded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921, and made his name as lead of the "Long March" to northern China to flee attacks from the Nationalists in the 1930s. Civil war resulted in a Communist triumph in 1949, and Mao became the leader of the People's Republic of China. Mao's policies, including the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward, resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people; his regime killed more Christians than the number of Jews killed by the German Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler. Chairman Mao's death on September 9, 1976 at the age of 82 left the world a better place, but left a huge power vacuum in China.

110 years ago
1908

Boxing
Jack Johnson (49-5-10-1-2), who had followed Tommy Burns (42-4-8) around the world in attempting to get a championship match, finally succeeded in wresting the world title away from his much smaller Canadian opponent in a mismatch in Sydney, Australia that was stopped by police in the 14th round. Mr. Johnson, the first Negro to win the championship belt, continually taunted Mr. Burns throughout the fight as he kept the white man at bay. Mr. Johnson's victory outraged white people, including journalist Jack London, who witnessed the spectacle, and immediately called for former champion Jim Jeffries, who had retired to his farm in 1905, to come back and wipe the "golden smile" from Mr. Johnson's face.



100 years ago
1918

Born on this date
Georgios Rallis. Prime Minister of Greece, 1980-1981. Mr. Rallis, a member of the People's Party and then the New Democracy Party, was first elected to Parliament in 1950, and held numerous cabinet posts before becoming Prime Minister. He resigned from New Democracy and became an independent shortly after N.D. lost the 1981 parliamentary elections. Mr. Rallis died on March 15, 2006 at the age of 87.

Olga Lopes-Seale. Guyanese-born Barbadian singer and radio hostess. Dame Olga worked with Radio Demerara in Guyana, earning the nickname "Auntie Olga." She emigrated with her husband to Barbados, where she was known as the "Vera Lynn of the Caribbean," and continued her work in radio, while engaging in charitable activities. Dame Olga died on February 4, 2011 at the age of 92.

75 years ago
1943

Literature
The American Library Association reported that a survey of 110 libraries revealed a decrease in public reading, but an improvement in taste, with entertainment reading suffering a heavy decline in favour of works dealing with international politics, aviation, and postwar planning.

War
General A.G.L. "Andy" McNaughton retired as commander of the First Canadian Army in Europe after falling out of favour with Minister of National Defence J.L. Ralston over his opposition to fragmentation of the Canadian Army Overseas. U.K. naval units attacked and sank the German battleship Scharnhorst in Arctic waters off North Cape, Norway, leaving Germany with two known battleships, the Tirpitz and Gneisenau. Only 36 of the 1,968 men aboard the Scharnhorst survived. Soviet troops resumed their offensive and rolled back German forces 25 miles on a 50-mile front in Ukraine. Street-by-street fighting continued in Ortona, Italy as Allied forces slowly cleared the northwestern part of the Adriatic port.

Science
The American Institute of Electrical Engineers announced that the 1943 Edison Medal was being awarded to Dr. Vannevar Bush for "development of new applications of mathematics to engineering problems."

Business
The Bolivian government announced that Axis firms there would be nationalized and their operations transferred to Bolivians.

Football
NFL Championship
Washington 21 @ Chicago Bears 41

Sid Luckman threw 5 touchdown passes and rushed for 64 yards to lead the Bears over the Redskins before 34,320 fans at Wrigley Field in a game played in such cold weather that it was nicknamed the "Ice Bowl." Mr. Luckman threw 2 touchdown passes each to Harry Clark and Dante Magnani and another to Jim Benton. Bronko Nagurski, who had come out of retirement late in the season, rushed 3 yards in the 2nd quarter for the other Chicago touchdown to conclude his Hall of Fame career. Washington quarterback Sammy Baugh completed touchdown passes to Andy Farkas and Joe Aguirre, and Mr. Farkas rushed 1 yard for a touchdown to open the scoring in the 2nd quarter. The championship was the third for the Bears in the previous four years.



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 Blue Carbuncle

Died on this date
Rocco Franceschini, 50. U.S. labour leader. Mr. Franceschini was president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations United Shoe Workers of America, one of the unions currently under investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities, suspected of being dominated by Communists.

Defense
The last Soviet occupation troops left North Korea.

Abominations
Cardinal József Mindszenty was arrested in Hungary and accused of treason and conspiracy.

World events
Jewish immigration to Israel since the end of the British mandate passed 100,000.

Politics and government
A nine-man investing committee of the Social Science Research Council reported in New York that political pollsters "acted in good faith but used poor judgment" during the 1948 U.S. presidential campaign. Pollsters predicted an easy victory for Republican Party candidate Thomas Dewey, and were surprised and embarrassed when President Harry Truman won the election.

60 years ago
1958

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): It's Only Make Believe--Conway Twitty (2nd week at #1)

War
Cuban guerrillas captured Cavaiaguan and Sancti Spiritus in their approach from the east to Santa Clara, capital of Las Villas Province.

Journalism
An Associated Press poll of news editors named French President-elect Charles de Gaulle as "man of the year."

Sport
Tennis star Althea Gibson was named the outstanding female athlete in the United States for 1958 in an Associated Press poll of sportswriters and broadcasters, winning the honour for the second straight year.

50 years ago
1968

Terrorism
Arab terrorists fired on an Israeli airliner in Athens, killing one passenger.

Politics and government
The Communist Party of the Philippines was established by Jose Maria Sison, breaking away from the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas-1930.

40 years ago
1978

Hockey
NHL
New York Islanders 5 Toronto 1

30 years ago
1988

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Kokomo--The Beach Boys

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You--Glenn Medeiros (6th week at #1)

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Los Angeles Rams 17 @ Minnesota 28

Joey Browner made interceptions to set up touchdowns by Alfred Anderson and Allen Rice in the 1st quarter as the Vikings took a 14-0 lead and coasted to victory over the Rams before 57,666 fans at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

25 years ago
1993

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: It Keeps Rainin' (Tears from My Eyes)--Bitty McLean (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)--Meat Loaf (7th week at #1)

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

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Babe--Take That (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): Mr Blobby--Mr Blobby (2nd week at #1)

Abominations
The Boston Globe reported that from 1946-1956, scientists at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology had given doses of radiation in milk to 19 mentally retarded boys to study effects on the digestive system.

20 years ago
1998

War
Iraq announced its intention to fire upon U.S. and U.K. warplanes that patrolled the northern and southern no-fly zones.

Hockey
NHL
Montreal 2 Toronto 1

10 years ago
2008

Sport
Chantal Petitclerc was voted the Canadian Press Canadian female athlete of the year, becoming the first Paralympian to receive the award since it was created in 1933. Miss Petitclerc won five gold medals and set three world records at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.