December 20, 2019

1,950 years ago
69

Politics and government
Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, entered Rome to claim the title of Emperor.

480 years ago
1539

Died on this date
Johannes Lupi, 33 (?). Flemish composer. Mr. Lupi, whose name in Flemish was Jean Leleu, composed a cappella polyphonic works. He died after years of chronic illness.

150 years ago
1869

Born on this date
Charley Grapewin. U.S. actor. Mr. Grapewin had a lengthy carer on stage and screen, but was best known for playing Uncle Henry in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Grandpa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940). He died on February 2, 1956 at the age of 86.

140 years ago
1879

Technology
Thomas Edison privately demonstrated his incandescent light at Menlo Park, New Jersey.

125 years ago
1894

Born on this date
Robert Menzies. Prime Minister of Australia, 1939-1941, 1949-1966. Sir Robert was a member of the Nationalist Party and then the United Australia Party, and was one of the main figures in the founding of the Liberal Party in December 1944. When Joseph Lyons died in 1939, Sir Robert succeeded him as Prime Minister, several months before the beginning of World War II. Sir Robert spent four months in England in 1941, and apparently had strong support to replace Winston Churchill as British Prime Minister. Sir Robert eventually was compelled to return to Australia, where his government fell in August 1941. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 1943-1949, returning to power with an electoral victory in 1949. Sir Robert was known for his opposition to Communism and his support for U.S. foreign policy and strong links with the United Kingdom. He resigned as Prime Minister on January 26, 1966, and from Parliament three weeks later. Sir Robert's 18 years and 5 months as Prime Minister is by far the longest time in the office for any Australian Prime Minister. He died of a heart attack on May 15, 1978 at the age of 83, several years after suffering two serious strokes.

120 years ago
1899

Born on this date
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. U.K. clergyman and physician. Dr. Lloyd-Jones, a native of Cardiff, practiced medicine for several yeaers in the 1920s before following a call to preach. He was minister at the evangelical Westminster Chapel in London from 1939-1968, and became known for his powerful expository preaching and opposition to theological liberalism and ecumenism. Unlike most of those in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement, Dr. Lloyd-Jones supported the Charismatic movement, and believed in a baptism of the Holy Spirit subsequent to conversion. He wrote many books which are still in print, and died in his sleep on March 1, 1981 at the age of 81.

100 years ago
1919

Died on this date
Philip Fysh, 84. U.K.-born Australian politician. Sir Philip, a native of England, emigrated to Australia in 1859 and became a successful merchant. A member of the Protectionist Party, he served several terms in the Tasmanian Legislative Council and Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1866-1899, holding several cabinet posts and serving as Premier of Tasmania (1877-1878, 1887-1892). Sir Philip supported federation of the Australian colonies, and after that took effect in 1901, he represented Tasmania (1901-1903) and Denison (1903-1910) in the Australian House of Representatives, serving as Postmaster-General (1903-1904).

90 years ago
1929

At the movies
The Lost Zeppelin, directed by Edward Sloman, and starring Conway Tearle, Virginia Valli, and Ricardo Cortez, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Émile Loubet, 90. 7th President of France, 1899-1906; Prime Minister of France, 1892. Mr. Loubet, a member of the Democratic Republican Alliance, was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1876, and was elected to the Senate in 1885. He served as Minister of Public Works (1887-1888), and was Minister of the Interior while serving as Prime Minister from February-December 1892. Mr. Loubet became President of the Senate in 1896 and President of the Republic in 1899. As President, Mr. Loubet dealt with the relations between the Roman Catholic church and the state, saw the forging of the Entente Cordiale with the United Kingdom, and inaugurated the Paris Exhibition of 1900. He died 10 days before his 91st birthday.

80 years ago
1939

Died on this date
Hans Langsdorff, 55. German military officer. Mr. Langsdorff, captain of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, lay on the ship’s battle ensign and shot himself in Montevideo a week after the ship suffered serious damage from British ships in the Battle of the River Plate, and three days after the Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled. Captain Langsdorff had wanted to go down with the ship, but held off until he knew that the crew would be granted amnesty. His suicide also forestalled any suspicions that he had retired from the battle out of cowardice.

75 years ago
1944

At the movies
Winged Victory, directed by George Cukor, and starring Lon McCallister, Jeanne Crain, and Edmond O'Brien, opened in theatres in New York City.



War
U.S. forces were holding on the flanks of the German offensive into Belgium. The U.S. 1st Army's VII Corps resumed its attack toward the Roer River, blocking the Winden-Untermanbach highway and pushing into Schneidhausen. Royal Canadian Air Force Squadrons Nos. 435 and 436 flew their first operational mission, supplying the British Fourteenth Army on its epic march south on the Burma Road. U.S. troops in the Philippines captured Valencia on Leyte Island and its airfield, recent headquarters of the Japanese 35th Army. U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur claimed that the Allies had won the battle for Ormoc in the Philippines.

Diplomacy
British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden told the House of Commons that the U.K. wanted only to feed starving Greeks and ensure a stable democratic government in Greece, and was not trying to force a regency or unwelcome king on the populace.

Transportation
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the measure appropriating $1.5 billion in federal aid for building state highways.

70 years ago
1949

On the radio
Philo Vance, starring Jackson Beck
Tonight’s episode: The Chop Suey Murder Case

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Seeker and the Sought, starring Eileen Heckart, Joseph Holland, Philip Loeb, and Grace Valentine

Music
Margaret Truman, daughter of U.S. President Harry Truman, made her first appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York, with a half-hour performance of Christmas music and a Puccini aria.

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department barred visits to Hungary by Americans, and demanded the release of two International Telephone & Telegraph officials held by the Hungarian government.

Politics and government
Indonesian Prime Minister Mohammed Hatta named his first cabinet, retaining the foreign affairs ministry for himself.

U.S. President Truman appointed White House aide Charles Murphy to succeed Clark Clifford as his special assistant.

U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee member Ed Gossett (Democrat--Texas) concluded an inspection of New York immigration facilities by charging that the city was a haven for those seeking illegal entry into the United States.

Crime
An attempted bombing of United Auto Workers of America headquarters in Detroit failed.

Football
NCAA
The Football Writers Association of America named Notre Dame head coach Frank Leahy as Football Man of the Year. He led the Fighting Irish to a 10-0 record and the national championship.

60 years ago
1959

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Le marchand de bonheur--Les Compagnons de la chanson (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on CBS
Tonight's episode: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, starring Ronald Howard and Juano Hernandez

At the movies
Suddenly, Last Summer, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, and Montgomery Clift, received its premiere screening in Los Angeles.



Died on this date
Juhan Simm, 74. Estonian composer and conductor. Mr. Simm conducted male choirs, and composed numerous choral and orchestral works.

War
Paraguayan President Alfredo Stroessner accused Cuba of aiding the recent guerrilla invasion attempt.

Diplomacy
Pakistani President Ayub Khan rejected suggestions that he seek another meeting with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Defense
Private discussions between U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and French President Charles de Gaulle failed to resolve the military and political rift stemming from France's refusal to accept integration of NATO armed forces.

James Wadsworth, chief U.S. delegate to the Geneva test-ban conference, said that he hoped the voluntary moratorium on U.S. nuclear tests would be extended for at least three months "to give us a chance to finish the talks."

50 years ago
1969

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Something/Come Together--The Beatles (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Rhodesia (Lyons Maid): Theresa--Dave Mills (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France: Dans la maison vide--Michel Polnareff (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Belinda--Gianni Morandi

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Sugar, Sugar--The Archies (6th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town--Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Two Little Boys--Rolf Harris

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Something/Come Together--The Beatles (2nd week at #1)
2 Suspicious Minds--Elvis Presley
3 Penny Arcade--Roy Orbison
4 Picking Up Pebbles--Matt Flinders
5 The Star--Ross D. Wyllie
6 Jean--Oliver
7 I'll Never Fall in Love Again--Bobbie Gentry
8 And When I Die--Blood, Sweat & Tears
9 Tracy--The Cuff Links
10 Take a Letter Maria--R.B. Greaves

Singles entering the chart were Down on the Corner/Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#30); Smiley by Ronnie Burns (#33); Oh Well by Fleetwood Mac (#34); Sunday Morning Coming Down by Ray Stevens (#37); and Silver Threads and Golden Needles by the Cowsills (#38).

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Marian--The Cats
2 Oh Well!--Fleetwood Mac
3 Cha-La-La, I Need You--The Shuffles
4 Mighty Joe--Shocking Blue
5 Maanserenade--Marty
6 Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday--Stevie Wonder
7 My Special Prayer--Percy Sledge
8 Another 45 Miles--The Golden Earring
9 Air--Ekseption
10 One Million Years--Robin Gibb

Singles entering the chart were Silent Night (Stille Nacht) by Percy Sledge (#23); Marie Jolie by Aphrodite's Child (#27); Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin (#33); and Mon Enfant by Nana Mouskouri (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Leaving on a Jet Plane--Peter, Paul and Mary
2 Someday We'll Be Together--Diana Ross and the Supremes
3 Down on the Corner/Fortunate Son--Creedence Clearwater Revival
4 Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye--Steam
5 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head--B.J. Thomas
6 Come Together/Something--The Beatles
7 Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday--Stevie Wonder
8 Take a Letter Maria--R.B. Greaves
9 Holly Holy--Neil Diamond
10 And When I Die--Blood, Sweat & Tears

Singles entering the chart were Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn (Part 2) by James Brown (#72); Baby Take Me in Your Arms by Jefferson (#73); I'm So Glad I Fell for You by David Ruffin (#80); No Time by the Guess Who (#81); Are You Getting Any Sunshine? by Lou Christie (#83); Come Saturday Morning by the Sandpipers (#84); Together by the Illusion (#87); Groovin' (Out on Life) by the Newbeats (#88); I'm Gonna Love You by the Intrigues (#89); Voodoo Woman by Simon Stokes & the Nighthawks (#91); Bold Soul Sister by Ike and Tina Turner (#92); Love Bones by Johnnie Taylor (#95); It's Been a Long Time by Betty Everett (#96); Mr. Limousine Driver by Grand Funk Railroad (#98); Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup) by 100 Proof Aged in Soul (#99); and He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother by the Hollies (#100).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Leaving on a Jet Plane--Peter, Paul and Mary
2 Someday We'll Be Together--Diana Ross and the Supremes
3 Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye--Steam
4 And When I Die--Blood, Sweat & Tears
5 Come Together--The Beatles
6 Take a Letter Maria--R.B. Greaves
7 Holly Holy--Neil Diamond
8 Fortunate Son--Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head--B.J. Thomas
10 Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart were Walk a Mile in My Shoes by Joe South and the Believers (#82); How I Miss You Baby by Bobby Womack (#84); Hey There Lonely Girl by Eddie Holman (#85); Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Nancy Wilson (#90); Are You Getting Any Sunshine? by Lou Christie (#92); He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother by the Hollies (#93); When We Get Married by the 1910 Fruitgum Co. (#95); Hikky Burr (Part 1) by Bill Cosby with the Bunions Bradford Band (#97); and Room to Move by John Mayall (#100).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 And When I Die--Blood, Sweat & Tears (2nd week at #1)
2 Leaving on a Jet Plane--Peter, Paul and Mary
3 Holly Holy--Neil Diamond
4 Fortunate Son/Down on the Corner--Creedence Clearwater Revival
5 Heaven Knows--The Grass Roots
6 Someday We'll Be Together--Diana Ross and the Supremes
7 Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye--Steam
8 Cherry Hill Park--Billy Joe Royal
9 Something/Come Together--The Beatles
10 Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday--Stevie Wonder

Singles entering the chart were Cat Woman by Abaco Dream (#80); Alice's Rock & Roll Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie (#83); Jennifer Tomkins by Street People (#87); Groovin' (Out on Life) by the Newbeats (#90); Are You Getting Any Sunshine? by Lou Christie (#94); Whistle for Happiness by Peggy Lee (#96); I'll Never Fall in Love Again by Dionne Warwick (#97); Walk a Mile in My Shoes by Joe South and the Believers (#99); and Theme Music for the Film "2001: A Space Odyssey" from Also Sprach Zarathustra by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (#100).

Calgary's Top 10 (Glenn's Music)
1 Something--The Beatles (3rd week at #1)
2 Cherry Hill Park--Billy Joe Royal
3 Holly Holy--Neil Diamond
4 Whole Lotta Love--Led Zeppelin
5 Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head--B.J. Thomas
6 Someday We'll Be Together--Diana Ross and the Supremes
7 The Rainmaker--Tom Northcott
8 Suspicious Minds--Elvis Presley
9 That's Where I Went Wrong--The Poppy Family
10 Life is a Song--Gainsborough Gallery
Pick hit of the week: Cold Turkey--Plastic Ono Band

War
Casualties in Vietnam for the week ending December 20 were 85 Americans dead and 836 wounded; 421 South Vietnamese killed and 1,436 wounded; and 2,396 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong killed, mostly in scattered fighting along the Cambodian border and in the Mekong Delta.

Crime
The Grey Cup was stolen from Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, where it had resided since the Ottawa Rough Riders had won the trophy for the second straight year three weeks earlier.

Football
AFL
Inter-Divisional Playoff
Kansas City 13 @ New York 6

The Jets' reign as Super Bowl champions ended when they were edged by the Chiefs before 62,977 disappointed fans at Shea Stadium in New York. Kansas City had finished second in the West Division with a record of 11-3, while New York had led the East Division with a 10-4 record. Jim Turner's 27-yard field goal gave the Jets a 3-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, while the Chiefs replied with a 23-yard field goal by Jan Stenerud in the 2nd quarter. Mr. Stenerud kicked a 25-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter to give the Chiefs a 6-3 lead heading into the 4th quarter. The Jets had a chance to score a touchdown, but settled for a 7-yard field goal by Mr. Turner to tie the game 6-6 in the 4th quarter. The Chiefs finally scored the game's only touchdown on a 19-yard pass from Len Dawson to Gloster Richardson, converted by Mr. Stenerud. Jets' running backs Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer ran well, but the Chiefs' defense gave New York quarterback Joe Namath one of the most miserable days of his career, as he completed just 14 of 40 passes for 164 yards and 3 interceptions. Mr. Dawson completed 12 of 27 for 201 yards.



NCAA
Sun Bowl
Nebraska 45 Georgia 6

40 years ago
1979

Politics and government
Quebec's Parti Québécois government of Premier René Lévesque tabled the referendum question which would be asked of Quebeckers during the referendum on sovereignty-association scheduled for 1980.

World events
The director of Oxfam's relief program said that he did not see any lack of will on the part of the government of Cambodia when it came to distributing relief supplies, but that food distribution was hindered by technical and logistical problems.

Crime
Kim Jae Kyu, who had assassinated South Korean President Park Chung Hee on October 26, was sentenced to death along with six others. General Chung Seung Hwa, Martial Law Commander and Army Chief of Staff, was convicted of willfully delaying the arrest of Kim Jae Kyu.

Medicine
A brain chemical 200 times more powerful in action than morphine was discovered by scientists at Stanford University and California Institute of Technology, it was reported. The chemical, dynorphin, was so potent, specific, and selective in its action on nerve cells that it was thought by the scientists to hold the key to pain control. The chemical was a member of the endorphin group of brain chemicals first discovered five years earlier.

Economics and finance
The Housing Bill was published in the United Kingdom, giving more than five million council house tenants the right to buy their homes; the act went into force on October 3, 1980.

30 years ago
1989

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Lambada--Kaoma (10th week at #1)

War
In the early morning hours, more than 12,000 U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel landed in Panama, doubling the U.S. military presence in the country. U.S. forces were divided into five task forces which attacked selected targets. One seized the headquarters of the Panama defense forces; other targets included military and strategic locations in and around Panama City. The U.S. force, however, failed to capture dictator General Manuel Noriega. An alternative government, headed by Guillermo Endara as president, was sworn in by a Panamanian judge at a U.S. military base. Mr. Endara claimed he had won a presidential election in May, but Gen. Noriega had annulled the vote. To protect shipping, U.S. troops closed the Panama Canal. Announcing the invasion, U.S. President George Bush said he had the obligation to safeguard the lives of American citizens. U.S. Secretary of State James Baker said that Gen. Noriega reportedly had planned to attack U.S. citizens in Panama. Most members of the United States Congress supported the invasion.

Politics and government
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia replaced Karel Urbanek as its leader with Premier Ladislav Adamec.

The Lithuanian Communist Party declared itself independent of the Soviet party and asserted that its goal was the creation of an "independent democratic Lithuanian state."

Protest
Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu returned from a visit to Iran and denounced the pro-democracy demonstrators in his country.

25 years ago
1994

Died on this date
Dean Rusk, 85. U.S. politician. Mr. Rusk was U.S. Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from 1961-1969, serving during the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.

War
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in Bosnia as a private citizen to meet with leaders of that country's warring factions, announced that the government and the Bosnian Serbs had agreed to a cease-fire.

Economics and finance
In an attempt to make Mexican products more affordable on world markets, the Mexican government of President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon allowed the peso to fall nearly 15% in value against the U.S. dollar.

The United States Commerce Department reported that the trade deficit in October was $10.14 billion, the second-highest monthly figure ever.

20 years ago
1999

Died on this date
Riccardo Freda, 90. Egyptian-born Italian film director and screenwriter. Mr. Freda wrote and/or directed movies in various genres in a career spanning almost 60 years. His films included I Vampiri (1957); The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962); and Revenge of the Musketeers (1994).

Hank Snow, 85. Canadian-born U.S. musician. Mr. Snow, born Clarence Eugene Snow in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, became a major star in country music, recording 140 albums and placing 85 singles on the Billboard country chart in a career that went from the 1930s to the 1980s. His hits included I'm Moving On and I've Been Everywhere.

Abominations
The Vermont Supreme Court ordered the state to guarantee sodomite couples the same benefits as normal married couples.

After midnight ceremonies to mark the return of Macao to China after 442 years of Portuguese colonial rule, Chinese troops entered the territory.

Oddities
Constable Mel Millas, a Vancouver, British Columbia policeman, became a millionaire when a provincial judge awarded him a bagful of money he had found in a provincial park. However, he was warned not to spend the cash for six years in case the true owner came forward.

Business
Canadian National Railways announced that it was combining with American railway giant Burlington Northern Santa Fe to create the largest freight carrier in North America, with 67,000 employees.

10 years ago
2009

Died on this date
Lester Rodney, 98. U.S. journalist. Mr. Rodney was a Jewish Communist who wrote for the Communist Party USA organs Daily Worker and Sunday Worker from the mid-1930s through the late '50s, where he became known for his consistent advocacy of racial integration of major league baseball in the years before it became reality. He quit the Communist Party in January 1958 and moved to southern California. Mr. Rodney was religion editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram for many years.

Arnold Stang, 91. U.S. actor. Mr. Stang, known for his nasal voice and nerdy appearance, was a character and voice actor in numerous movies, television programs, and cartoons in a career spanning more than 60 years.

Brittany Murphy, 32. U.S. actress. Miss Murphy, born Brittany Bertolotti, appeared in the movie Clueless (1995), and various plays and independent films until her death from pneumonia. Anemia and overuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs contributed to Miss Murphy's death.