December 20, 2012

820 years ago
1192

World events
King Richard I "The Lion Heart" of England was captured by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, while on his way back to England after signing the Treaty of Ramla with Egyptian and Syrian Sultan Saladin, ending the Third Crusade.

490 years ago
1522

War
The Siege of Rhodes ended when Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I "The Magnificent" accepted the surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who were allowed to evacuate.

290 years ago
1722

Died on this date
Kanxi, 68. Emperor of China, 1661-1722. Kanxi, 4th Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, reigned for more than 61 years, the longest reign in Chinese history. He was succeeded by his son and fourth prince Yinzhen, who reigned as Yongzheng.

200 years ago
1812

Died on this date
Sacagawea, 24. U.S. explorer. Sacagawea was a Lemhi Shoshone who accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition in the western United States from 1804-1806, acting as interpreter and guide. She reportedly died of putrid fever.

150 years ago
1862

War
In the American Civil War, Confederate forces under General Earl Van Dorn raided the supplies of Union Army General U.S. Grant at Holly Springs, Mississippi.

90 years ago
1922

Montrealana
The Mount Royal Hotel, advertised as the largest hotel in the British Empire, with 1,100 guest rooms, opened.

80 years ago
1932

Protest
Police with billy clubs broke up a demonstration by 2,000 unemployed farmers and workers who were attempting to stage a "hunger march" from Market Square in downtown Edmonton to the Alberta Legislature.

75 years ago
1937

Died on this date
Erich Ludendorff, 72. German military leader. General Ludendorff was, with Chief of the General Staff Paul von Hindenburg, the chief engineer of Germany's effort in World War I from August 1916-October 1918.

70 years ago
1942

War
Japanese planes bombed Calcutta.

60 years ago
1952

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart--Vera Lynn; Eddy Howard (5th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James (Best seller--3rd week at #1, Disc Jockey--2nd week at #1); The Glow-Worm--The Mills Brothers (Juke Box--3rd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James (2nd week at #1)
--Patti Page
2 The Glow-Worm--The Mills Brothers
3 It's in the Book (Parts 1 and 2)--Johnny Standley
4 I Went to Your Wedding--Patti Page
5 Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes--Perry Como
6 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus--Jimmy Boyd
--Spike Jones and his City Slickers
7 You Belong to Me--Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his Orchestra
8 Takes Two to Tango--Pearl Bailey
9 Lady of Spain--Eddie Fisher
--Les Paul
10 Yours--Vera Lynn

Singles entering the chart were Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson and his "Pops" Concert Orchestra (#28); Must I Cry Again by the Hilltoppers (#29); Veradero by Camarata and his Orchestra (#33); and Tonight You Belong to Me by Frankie Laine (#36).

Disasters
A United States Air Force C-124 crashed and burned in Moses Lake, Washington, kiling 87.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Return to Sender--Elvis Presley (2nd week at #1)

On television tonight
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Tender Poisoner, starring Dan Dailey, Howard Duff, and Jan Sterling

40 years ago
1972

Died on this date
Gabby Hartnett, 72. U.S. baseball player and manager. Mr. Hartnett was a catcher with the Chicago Cubs from 1922-1940 and the New York Giants in 1941, batting .297 with 236 home runs and 1,179 runs batted in in 1,990 games. He played in World Series in 1929, 1932, 1935, and 1938, the last of which was also his first of three seasons as the Cubs’ manager. The Cubs were involved in a tight race with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the National League pennant in 1938, and the teams played a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago—then without lights—on September 28 that was about to be called because of darkness until Mr. Hartnett hit a home run—called the “homer in the gloamin’—that provided the winning margin and helped to win the pennant. Mr. Hartnett was named the NL’s Most Valuable Player in 1935, when he batted .344 with 13 home runs and 91 RBIs, and .292 in the World Series. Mr. Hartnett was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. He died on his 72nd birthday.

30 years ago
1982

Died on this date
Arthur Rubinstein, 95. Polish-born U.S. pianist. Mr. Rubinstein was considered one of the world's greatest pianists, and performed in public from 1900-1976.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in France: La Bamba--Los Lobos (10th week at #1)

Disasters
Nearly 4,000 people were killed in the worst maritime disaster in peacetime history when the overcrowded passenger ferry Dona Paz collided with the oil tanker Victor near Manila. Only 24 survivors were found, half of them crewmen from the Victor.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)

December 19, 2012

280 years ago
1732

Literature
Poor Richard's Almanack by Benjamin Franklin was first published in Philadelphia.

160 years ago
1852

Born on this date
Albert Michelson. German-born U.S. physicist. Dr. Michelson moved to the United States with his parents at the age of 2. He taught at the U.S. Naval Academy before teaching at Clark University and then at the University of Chicago. Dr. Michelson was known for his work on measuring the speed of light and especially for the Michelson–Morley experiment with Edward Morley (1887). Dr. Michelson became the first American to win a Nobel Prize in a science when he was awarded the 1907 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his optical precision instruments and the spectroscopic and metrological investigations carried out with their aid." He died on May 9, 1931 at the age of 78.

80 years ago
1932

Died on this date
Yoon Bong-Gil, 24. Korean terrorist. Mr. Yoon, an activist on behalf of Korean independence from Japan, was executed in Kanazawa, Japan for carrying out a bombing attack in Shanghai on April 29, 1932 that had killed Japanese General Yoshinori Shirakawa and Japanese government bureaucrat Kawabata Sadaji, while injuring several others.

Radio
The British Broadcasting Corporation Empire Service began broadcasting by shortwave. It became known as the BBC Overseas Service in November 1939 and BBC World Service in May 1965.

70 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): White Christmas--Bing Crosby (8th week at #1)

60 years ago
1952

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Here in My Heart--Al Martino (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Machine, starring Georgann Johnson and Gene Lockhart

50 years ago
1962

Space
The United States launched the satellite Transit 5A, whose mission was navigation.

Academia
The University of Windsor was incorporated by the Ontario Legislature, accepting Assumption University in Federation. Assumption College opened in 1857 and changed its name to Assumption University in 1956.

40 years ago
1972

Space
More than 12 days after liftoff from Cape Kennedy, Florida, the Apollo 17 crew of Gene Cernan, Ron Evans, and Jack Schmitt splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:25 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, 4 miles from the recovery ship USS Ticonderoga, ending the series of manned lunar missions.

World events
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin gave British workers in his country the option of accepting a 40% pay cut or being expelled from Uganda in 12 days.

30 years ago
1982

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, starring Graham Armitage and Kerry Jordan, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: A Matter of Conscience

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: La Bamba--Los Lobos (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: Always on My Mind--Pet Shop Boys

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Faith--George Michael (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Faith--George Michael (2nd week at #1)
2 Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle
3 Is This Love--Whitesnake
4 Should've Known Better--Richard Marx
5 Shake Your Love--Debbie Gibson
6 So Emotional--Whitney Houston
7 Don't You Want Me--Jody Watley
8 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
9 We'll Be Together--Sting
10 Catch Me (I'm Falling)--Pretty Poison

Singles entering the chart were Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley (#80); She's Like the Wind by Patrick Swayze (featuring Wendy Fraser) (#83); I Need a Man by Eurythmics (#84); Dear Mr. Jesus by PowerSource (#85); Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter and Banchees of Blue (#86); 853-5937 by Squeeze (#88); Lover's Lane by Giorgio (#89); and Never Thought (That I Could Love) by Dan Hill (#90).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 Faith--George Michael
2 (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
3 Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle
4 I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany
5 Pop Goes the World--Men Without Hats
6 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
7 Mony Mony (Live)--Billy Idol
8 Try--Blue Rodeo
9 We'll Be Together--Sting
10 So Emotional--Whitney Houston

Singles entering the chart were Seasons Change by Expose (#87); Pump Up the Volume by M/A/R/R/S (#89); Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen (#90); Connect Me by Platinum Blonde (#92); Hot in the City by Billy Idol (#94); Crying by Roy Orbison and k.d. lang (#95); and Showdown at Big Sky by Robbie Robertson (#96).

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston

#1 single in Italy: Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): Highland--One More Time

#1 single in France: Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (4th week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (3rd week at #1)
2 If I Ever Fall in Love--Shai
3 Rump Shaker--Wreckx-N-Effect
4 The (Elvis) Letter--Wayne Newton
5 In the Still of the Nite--Boyz II Men
6 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
7 I'd Die Without You--PM Dawn
8 Good Enough--Bobby Brown
9 Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap!
10 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton

Singles entering the chart included Heal the World by Michael Jackson (#78); Homies by Lighter Shade of Brown (#81); Stand Up by Def Leppard (#85); and The Right Kind of Love by Jeremy Jordan (#90).

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston
2 Song Instead of a Kiss--Alannah Myles
3 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton
4 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
5 Keep the Faith--Bon Jovi
6 Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses--U2
7 Drive--R.E.M.
8 Layla--Eric Clapton
9 Do You Believe in Us--Jon Secada
10 Love Can Move Mountains--Celine Dion

Singles entering the chart included If I Had $1,000,000 by Barenaked Ladies (#73); A Whole New World by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle (#77); Bigger Man by Tom Cochrane (#79); Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya by Bryan Adams (#84); Walk on the Ocean by Toad the Wet Sprocket (#90); and Child of the City by Triumph (#93). If I Had $1,000,000 was the B-side of the recent hit Enid. A Whole New World was from the movie Aladdin.

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Grant McLean, 81. Canadian film producer, director, and cinematographer. Mr. McLean was with the National Film Board of Canada from 1941-1967, where he spent 10 years as director of production and 15 years as acting commissioner. He was a pioneer of cinema verite, and made films about groundbreaking subjects such as Inuit society, the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, and racial prejudice. His films included Target Berlin (1944); The People Between (1947); Farewell Oak Street (1953); and In the Labyrinth (1967—created for the Expo 67 world’s fair in Montreal).

December 18, 2012

370 years ago
1642

Exploration
Abel Tasman became the first European to land in New Zealand.

275 years ago
1737

Died on this date
Antonio Stradivari, 93. Italian musical instrument maker. Mr. Stradivari, after whom Stradivarius instruments are named, made over 1,000 instruments, including lutes, guitars, violins, violas, cellos, and harps. It's estimated that over half of the instruments that he made still exist.

225 years ago
1787

Americana
New Jersey became the 3rd state to ratify the United States Constitution.

150 years ago
1862

War
In the U.S. Civil War, Confederate forces under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest routed a Union force under Colonel Robert Ingersoll in Union-held western Tennessee.

Britannica
The remains of Prince Albert were moved to the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore Estate, adjoining Windsor Castle. The Prince Consort of Queen Victoria had died on December 14, 1861 at the age of 42, while the mausoleum was under construction. His remains had been at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle since December 23, 1861 until the mausoleum was ready for dedication.

120 years ago
1892

Music
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker received its premiere performance at Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, on a double bill with his opera Iolanta.

100 years ago
1912

Science
Addressing a meeting of the Geological Society of London, amateur archaelogist Charles Dawson announced the discovery, while digging in the Piltdown gravel pit in Sussex, England, of skull fragments that appeared to belong to a hominid ancestor of man. The finding became known as Piltdown Man. Although there were always skeptics, most scientists hailed the discovery as evidence of man's evolution, and it wasn't proven to be a hoax until 1953.

80 years ago
1932

Football
NFL
Portsmouth (6-2-4) 0 @ Chicago Bears (7-1-6) 9

Although the game counted in the standings as a regular season game, it was actually a playoff game to decide the NFL championship. There was no official playoff format to decide the league champion in those days; the championship went to the team with the highest winning percentage. Ties didn't count towards that percentage, so the Spartans and Bears were considered to have equal records of 6-1 (.857) atop the standings. The playoff was scheduled to be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, but the weather had been so cold during the week, the game was moved indoors to Chicago Stadium, The field of play was reduced to 80 yards in length and 43 yards in width in order to fit into the smaller confines, and some new rules were devised for the occasion. The game was scoreless until the 4th quarter, when Chicago fullback Bronko Nagurski threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Red Grange. Under rules then in place, anyone throwing a forward pass had to be at least 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage at the time the pass was thrown. The Spartans argued that Mr. Nagurski had been less than the required distance behind the line of scrimmage; the Portsmouth protests went unheeded and Paul Engebretsen converted the touchdown to give the Bears a 7-0 lead. The score became 9-0 when the Chicago defense tackled Portsmouth fullback Mule Wilson in his end zone. The game proved so popular that after this season, the NFL split the league into East and West Divisions, with the teams finishing in first place in each division playing each other in a sudden-death playoff game to determine the league champion. The Bears' win over the Spartans gave them a final winning percentage for 1932 of .875. The Spartans finished at .750 and dropped to third behind the Green Bay Packers, who were 10-3-1 (.769). Had the post-1972 method of calculating winning percentages been used--a tie counting as a half-win and half-loss--the Packers would have finished first at .750, followed by the Spartans (6-1-4, .727) and Bears (6-1-6, .692).



50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Doublecross

Edmontonia
The Selkirk Hotel, which had stood at the corner of 101st Street and Jasper Avenue for almost 60 years, was destroyed by fire, causing $1 million damage, despite the efforts of 450 firefighters.

Boxing
Leotis Martin (4-0) won a 6-round decision over Joe Washington (4-10-1) in a heavyweight bout at American Legion Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Ben--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

War
Five days after North Vietnamese representatives had walked out of peace talks with U.S. representative Henry Kissinger, U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered the beginning of Operation Linebacker II in an attempt to force the North Vietnamese back to the bargaining table. The air offensive, popularly known as the "Christmas bombing," lasted for 11 days and dropped 20,000 tons of boms, mostly on the populated area between Hanoi and Haiphong.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Save Your Love--Renée and Renato

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates
2 Mickey--Toni Basil
3 Truly--Lionel Richie
4 The Girl is Mine--Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
5 Steppin' Out--Joe Jackson
6 Dirty Laundry--Don Henley
7 Muscles--Diana Ross
8 It's Raining Again--Supertramp
9 Sexual Healing--Marvin Gaye
10 Down Under--Men at Work

Singles entering the chart were Shame on the Moon by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band (#51); Back on the Chain Gang by the Pretenders (#84); Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth (#86); The Woman in Me by Donna Summer (#87); All Touch by Rough Trade (#88); Young Love by Janet Jackson (#89); and Don't Stop Trying by Rodway (#90). Back on the Chain Gang was from the movie The King of Comedy (1983). All Touch had been a hit in Canada in the fall of 1981.

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Truly--Lionel Richie
2 Gloria--Laura Branigan
3 Dirty Laundry--Don Henley
4 It's Raining Again--Supertramp
5 Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates
6 Mickey--Toni Basil
7 Rock This Town--Stray Cats
8 Nobody--Sylvia
9 Da Da Da--Trio
10 The Girl is Mine--Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

Singles entering the chart were Baby Come to Me by Patti Austin and James Ingram (#43); Mirror Man by the Human League (#48); and All of My Heart by ABC (#50).

At the movies
The King of Comedy, directed by Martin Scorsese, and starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, and Sandra Bernhard, opened in theatres in Iceland.





Disasters
A power plant fire that eventually killed 128 people and injured hundreds more began in Caracas.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Whenever You Need Somebody--Rick Astley (3rd week at #1)

At the movies
Leonard Part 6, produced by and starring Bill Cosby, opened in theatres. It was considered one of the worst movies of the year, and Mr. Cosby himself denounced and disowned it. This blogger, like most people, has never seen it.





Personal
This blogger finished the second of three terms at the University of Western Ontario's School of Library and Information Science.

Scandal
Ivan Boesky was sentenced to three years in prison for plotting Wall Street's biggest insider-trading scandal.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): More and More--Captain Hollywood Project

At the movies
Toys, directed, co-written, and co-produced by Barry Levinson, and starring Robin Williams, opened in theatres.





Leap of Faith, directed by Richard Pearce, and starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
John F. Melby, 79. U.S.-born diplomat and scholar. Dr. Melby was a U.S. State Department employee from 1937-1953, serving in the U.S.S.R. from 1943-1945 and in China from 1945-1948. He was stripped of his security clearance in 1953 because of his long and intimate association with playwright Lillian Hellman, who was accused of ties to the Communist Party. Dr. Melby had difficulty finding work thereafter until he founded the political studies department of the University of Guelph in 1966, serving as department chairman for five years and then as a professor until his retirement in 1978. He died of a heart attack in Guelph, Ontario.

Mark Goodson, 77. U.S. television producer. Mr. Goodson, with his partner Bill Todman, produced such game shows as Beat the Clock; Match Game; The Price is Right; Family Feud; Password; I've Got a Secret; To Tell the Truth; and What's My Line?.

Environment
Canadian Fisheries Minister John Crosbie announced cuts in groundfish quotas of up to 70%, saying that there were "too many plants, too many boats, too many people chasing fish."

410 people were evacuated from their homes in Oakville, Manitoba after a chemical spill.

Business
National Sea Products announced that it would close its plants in North Sydney and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Ray Hnatyshyn, 68. Governor General of Canada, 1990-1995. A Progressive Conservative Member of the House of Commons from Saskatoon from 1974-1988, Mr. Hnatyshyn was the first Governor General of Ukrainian ancestry and was credited with opening the gardens of Rideau Hall—the Governor General’s official residence in Ottawa—to the public, and for bringing a common touch to the vice-regal office.

Wayne Owens, 65. U.S. politician. Mr. Owens represented Utah in the United States House of Representatives from 1973-1975 and 1987-1993.

December 17, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Ken Thiessen!

1,070 years ago
942

Died on this date
William I "Longsword," 42 (?). Count (Duke) of Normandy, 927-942. William was given the fiefdom of Normandy by his father, Robert I (Rollo). William's forces battled for several years with those of Arnulf I, Count of Flanders. A peace conference took place at Picquigny on the Somme; William attended, and was ambushed and killed by followers of Arnulf. He was succeeded as Duke of Normandy by his son Richard the Fearless.

200 years ago
1812

War
In the War of 1812, U.S. forces attacked a friendly Lenape Indian village in Indiana and took 42 prisoners in the Battle of the Mississinewa.

150 years ago
1862

Abominations
U.S. Army General U.S. Grant issued General Order No. 11, expelling Jews suspected of Civil War profiteering from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi, areas occupied by the Union Army. The order was rescinded several days later after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln heard the news and expressed his disapproval.

90 years ago
1922

Died on this date
Arthur Garvey, 37. Canadian journalist. Mr. Garvey, a native of Brandon, Manitoba, moved to Vancouver as an infant. He became one of western Canada's best-known sportswriters, and was sports editor of the Vancouver Province when he died several days after developing a cold, complicated by diabetes.

Diplomacy
Deskaheh, chief of the 5,000-member Six Nations tribe, announced in New York that he had presented a petition in Washington to Dr. J.B. Hubrecht, charge d'affaires for the Netherlands, to be presented to the Dutch government and then to the League of Nations, claiming that his people, who had lived near Grand River, Ontario since 1874, were a sovereign nation, and thus not accountable in any way to the government of Canada. Members of the chief's party stated that they were presenting their petition to the Dutch representative because the Dutch had been the first white people to settle near their land.

75 years ago
1937

Born on this date
John Kennedy Toole. U.S. author. Mr. Toole wrote the novel A Confederacy of Dunces, which wasn't published until 1980. Mr. Toole committed suicide on March 26, 1969 at the age of 31.

70 years ago
1942

Abominations
British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden informed the House of Commons about the mass executions of Jews being carried out by Nazis in occupied Europe, and read out an Allied declaration condemning the atrocities.

60 years ago
1952

On the radio
I Was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews
Tonight’s episode: Treason Comes in Cans

50 years ago
1962

Died on this date
Thomas Mitchell, 70. U.S. actor. Mr. Mitchell was one of the best-known character actors of the 20th century, appearing in such movies as Lost Horizon (1937); The Hurricane (1937); Stagecoach (1939); Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); Gone with the Wind (1939); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939); It's a Wonderful Life (1946); High Noon (1952); While the City Sleeps (1956); and Pocketful of Miracles (1961). He appeared in many television programs beginning in the early 1950s, and was also an experienced stage actor. Mr. Mitchell was the first actor to win the "triple crown" of an Oscar (Best Supporting Actor for Stagecoach, 1939); an Emmy (Best Lead Actor in a drama for Desk of Matthew Day, an episode of the series The Doctor, 1953); and a Tony (Best Actor in a Musical for Hazel Flagg, 1953). Mr. Mitchell's last role was on stage, playing the part of the detective Columbo, a role that Peter Falk made famous on television many years later.

40 years ago
1972

Space
Apollo 17 Command Module Pilot Ron Evans conducted a 1 hour, 7 minute spacewalk to retrieve exposed film from the instrument bay on the exterior of the command/service module America.



30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Homer Ferguson, 94. U.S. politician. Mr. Ferguson, a Republican, represented Michigan in the United States Senate from 1943-1955.

Leonid Kogan, 58. U.S.S.R. violinist. Mr. Kogan was considered one of the Soviet Union's best violinists. He toured Europe, South America, and the U.S.A., and many composers dedicated works to him. Mr. Kogan died of a heart attack on a train from Moscow to Yaroslavl, where he was to perform a concert with his son.

25 years ago
1987

Music
Guitarist Ellen McIlwaine performed at The Firehall in downtown London, Ontario. This blogger was one of several students at the University of Western Ontario's School of Library and Information Science in attendance.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Dana Andrews, 83. U.S. actor. Mr. Andrews was one of the most prominent, if underrated, actors of the 1940s, appearing in such movies as The Ox-Bow Incident (1943); Laura (1944); State Fair (1945); A Walk in the Sun (1945); The Best Years of Our Lives (1946); Boomerang! (1947); The Iron Curtain (1948); Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950); While the City Sleeps (1956); Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956); Night of the Demon (1957); The Fearmakers (1958); and Hot Rods to Hell (1967). He also starred as Matt Cvetic in the radio series I Was a Communist for the FBI (1952-1953).

Diplomacy
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed by representatives of the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico.

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
K. W. Devanayagam, 92. Sri Lankan politician. Kanapathipillai William "Bill" Devanayagam, a member of the United National Party, represented Kalkudah in the Ceylonese/Sri Lankan Parliament from 1965-1989. He was Minister of Justice (1977-1980) and Minister of Home Affairs (1980-1989).

War
The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue signed the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement, marking the formal end of the Second Congo War.

December 16, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Heather Austin!

120 years ago
1892

Scandal
Charles de Lesseps was arrested for complicity in the Panama Canal frauds. An attempt to build the canal, beginning in 1882, had ended with the bankruptcy of the Panama Canal Company in December 1888. In 1892 it emerged that 150 French deputies had been bribed into voting for the allocation of financial aid for the Panama Canal Company. Charles was the son of Ferdninand de Lesseps, who had developed the Suez Canal.

100 years ago
1912

War
A Greek fleet forced a fleet of the Ottoman Empire to retreat in the Battle of Elli in the Dardanelles in the First Balkan War.

90 years ago
1922

Died on this date
Gabriel Narutowicz, 57. President of Poland, 1922. Mr. Narutowicz, who had no party affiliation but was wiedely believed to represent left-wing views, was attending an art exhibition in warsaw when he was assassinated by a painter named Eligiusz Niewiadomski, a supporter of the National Democratic Party. Mr. Narutowicz had been elected by the National Assembly as Poland's first President just a week earlier, and had taken office on December 11.

75 years ago
1937

Crime
Convicted bank robbers Ted Cole and Ralph Roe attempted to escape from the U.S. federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay during a dense fog by floating on large cans. According to eyewitness Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, the two were caught up in the swift currents and sucked beneath the surface of the water. They were never seen again, but authorities concluded that they probably drowned soon after their escape and were swept out to sea.

70 years ago
1942

Abominations
Nazi S.S. Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler ordered that Roma (Gypsy) candidates for extermination be deported to the death camp at Auschwitz. The program became known as the Porajmos.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Tortured Hand, starring Peter Lorre

50 years ago
1962

Space
The United States launched the satellite Explorer 16, whose mission was to study micrometeoroids.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: My Ding-A-Ling--Chuck Berry (4th week at #1)

Australia's top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Popcorn--Hot Butter (6th week at #1)
2 Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me--Mac Davis
3 Burning Love--Elvis Presley
4 Too Young--Donny Osmond
5 Garden Party--Rick Nelson & the Stone Canyon Band
6 Rock Me Baby--Johnny Farnham
7 Sugar Me--Lynsey De Paul
8 You Wear it Well--Rod Stewart
9 Ben--Michael Jackson
10 Kings of the World--Mississippi

Singles entering the chart were I've Got to Have You by Carly Simon (#27); Wings of an Eagle by Russell Morris (#29); The Guitar Man by Bread (#38); and Mad About You by Bruce Ruffin (#40).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Me and Mrs. Jones--Billy Paul

U.S. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 I Am Woman--Helen Reddy
2 Me and Mrs. Jones--Billy Paul
3 You Ought to Be with Me--Al Green
4 Papa was a Rollin' Stone--The Temptations
5 It Never Rains in Southern California--Albert Hammond
6 Clair--Gilbert O'Sullivan
7 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
8 Ventura Highway--America
9 Rockin' Pneumonia-Boogie Woogie Flu--Johnny Rivers
10 I'm Stone in Love with You--The Stylistics

Singles entering the chart were Hi, Hi, Hi by Wings (#67); Trouble Man by Marvin Gaye (#73); Daddy's Home by Jermaine Jackson (#80); Anthem by Wayne Newton (#81); Songman by Cashman and West (#89); Daytime Night-Time by Keith Hampshire (#93); What My Baby Needs Now is a Little More Lovin' by James Brown and Lyn Collins (#95); Trying to Live My Life Without You by Otis Clay (#97); Melanie Makes Me Smile by Terry Williams (#98); One Last Time by Glen Campbell (#99); and Silly Wasn't I by Valerie Simpson (#100). Trouble Man was the title song from the movie.

Canada's top 10 (RPM)
1 I Am Woman--Helen Reddy
2 Clair--Gilbert O'Sullivan
3 I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo
4 Sunny Days--Lighthouse
5 Ventura Highway--America
6 Summer Breeze--Seals and Crofts
7 It Never Rains in Southern California--Albert Hammond
8 Something's Wrong with Me--Austin Roberts
9 Running Back to Saskatoon--The Guess Who
10 Sweet Surrender--Bread

Singles entering the chart were I'm Gonna Love You Too by Terry Jacks (#75); Les Colombes by Lise Thouin (#93); Separate Ways by Elvis Presley (#95); Crocodile Rock by Elton John (#96); Natalie by Roby Rey (#98); Looking Through the Eyes of Love by the Partridge Family (#99); and You're So Vain by Carly Simon (#100).

Calgary’s top 10
1 Ben--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)
2 It Never Rains in Southern California--Albert Hammond
3 Something's Wrong with Me--Austin Roberts
4 Last Song--Edward Bear
5 Clair--Gilbert O'Sullivan
6 I'm Stone in Love with You--The Stylistics
7 Rockin' Pneumonia--Boogie-Woogie Flu--Johnny Rivers
8 Crazy Horses--The Osmonds
9 Julia Get Up--Rich Dodson
10 Walk on Water--Neil Diamond
Pick hit of the week: I'm Gonna Love You Too--Terry Jacks

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): House of Love--East 17 (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Let Nothing You Dismay

December 15, 2012

70 years ago
1942

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Dave Clark! Mr. Clark was the leader of the U.K. rock band The Dave Clark Five in the 1960s, who rivalled the Beatles as Britain's most popular band.

War
The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse between U.S. and Japanese forces began on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: Pregherò--Adriano Celentano (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Return to Sender--Elvis Presley

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Big Girls Don't Cry--The 4 Seasons (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Return to Sender--Elvis Presley
2 Limbo Rock--Chubby Checker
3 Bobby's Girl--Marcie Blane
4 Telstar--The Tornados
5 Big Girls Don't Cry--The 4 Seasons
6 The Lonely Bull--The Tijuana Brass
7 Don't Hang Up--The Orlons
8 Release Me--"Little Esther" Phillips
9 All Alone Am I--Brenda Lee
10 Ride!--Dee Dee Sharp

Singles entering the chart were It's Up to You by Rick Nelson (#74); Santa Claus is Coming to Town by the 4 Seasons (#77); Santa Claus is Watching You by Ray Stevens (#78); Half Heaven-Half Heartache by Gene Pitney (#81); I'm Gonna Be Warm this Winter by Connie Francis (#90); Cast Your Fate to the Wind, with versions by the Vince Guaraldi Trio; and Martin Denny and his Orchestra (#91); From a Jack to a King by Ned Miller (#92); Zero-Zero by Lawrence Welk and his Orchestra (#93); Won't You Come on Back by Fats Domino (#94); My Wife Can't Cook by Lonnie Russ (#95); and Maybe You'll Be There by Billy and the Essentials (#98).

Died on this date
Charles Laughton, 63. U.K.-born U.S. actor. Mr. Laughton appeared in many plays and movies, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for 1932-1933 for The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957), and also turned in memorable performances in If I Had a Million (1932), Island of Lost Souls (1932), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). Mr. Laughton died of kidney cancer, six months after the release of his last movie, Advise and Consent (1962).

Boxing
Doug Jones (21-3-1) knocked out Zora Folley (62-6-2) at 1:58 of the 7th round of a heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. Mr. Folley had won a 10-round unanimous decision over Mr. Jones on August 1, 1962.



30 years ago
1982

World events
Spain opened its gates separating it from Gibraltar for the first time in 13 years.

Football
NCAA
University of Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant announced his retirement after 38 years as a U.S. college head coach, the last 25 of which were at Alabama. He retired with a career record of 323 wins, 85 losses, and 17 ties.

25 years ago
1987

Died on this date
Ray Malavasi, 57. U.S. football coach. Mr. Malavasi was an assistant coach with several American Football League and National Football League clubs, and was twice named as a head coach to replace one who'd been fired. In 1966, Mac Speedie was fired as coach of the Denver Broncos of the AFL after the sedond game of the season. Mr. Malavasi was head coach for the remainder of the season, coaching the Broncos to a 4-8 record over the final 12 games. In 1978, George Allen was fired after 2 pre-season games as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL; Mr. Malavasi took over as the team's head coach and remained in that position through 1982. The Rams posted a 12-4 record to finish first in the National Football Conference West Division in 1978, but were embarrassed 28-0 by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC championship game. The Rams were just 9-7 in 1979, but finished first in their division and advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in their history, losing 31-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1980 the Rams were 11-5, finishing second in the NFC West and losing to the Cowboys in the wild card playoff game. Mr. Malavasi was fired after the Rams dropped to 6-10 in 1981 and 2-7 in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Mr. Malavasi's career regular season record as a head coach in the AFL and NFL was 44-41. He also served two seasons (1967-1968) as an assistant coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. The defense that he coached in 1967 didn't allow a touchdown in their last 6 games, including a 24-1 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup. Mr. Malavasi died of a heart attack in Los Angeles.

December 14, 2012

Married on this date
Happy Anniversary, Eileen and Leo Sasakamoose!

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Wendy Welt!

725 years ago
1287

Disasters
50,000-80,000 people in the Netherlands and northern Germany were killed when the Zuiderzee sea wall collapsed, causing what became known as St. Lucia's flood.

470 years ago
1542

Died on this date
James V, 30. King of Scots, 1513-1542. King James V died of a brief illness, just six days after the birth of his only surviving legitimate child, Princess Mary Stuart. She immediately succeeded him on the throne as Mary, Queen of Scots.

230 years ago
1782

Transportation
Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier gave their first hot air ballon its first test flight near Avignon, France. The lifting force was so great that they lost control of the balloon, and it floated nearly 2 kilometres before landing and subsequently being destroyed by passersby.

200 years ago
1812

War
The French invasion of Russia ended when remnants of the Grand Armée were expelled from Russia.

In the War of 1812, Britain's Royal Navy seized control of Lake Borgne, Louisiana.

110 years ago
1902

Communications
The Commercial Pacific Cable Company laid the first Pacific telegraph cable, from Ocean Beach, San Francisco to Honolulu.

80 years ago
1932

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight’s episode: The Sign of the Four, Part 6

50 years ago
1962

Television
Filming concluded on Please Stand By, the pilot for the science fiction series The Outer Limits. Some changes were made in editing, and the program aired on ABC as the series' first episode on September 16, 1963 under the title The Galaxy Being.

Space
The U.S. probe Mariner 2 became the first probe to fly by Venus, coming within 22,000 miles of the planet's surface.

40 years ago
1972

Space
Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt concluded man's last moonwalk at about 12:41 Eastern Standard Time (10:41 P.M. December 13, Mountain Standard Time) and re-entered the lunar module Challenger. They then blasted off from the surface of the moon to rejoin Command Module Pilot Ron Evans in the command module America. Mr. Cernan was, as the title of his 1999 autobiography stated, The Last Man on the Moon, saying, just before he re-entered Challenger: "...as I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come - but we believe not too long into the future - I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus- Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. "Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden: Puttin' on the Ritz--Taco (8th week at #1)

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Never Gonna Give You Up--Rick Astley (3rd week at #1)

Football
NFL
Chicago (10-3) 0 @ San Francisco (11-2) 41

Jerry Rice caught 3 touchdown passes from Steve Young to tie two NFL records as the 49ers routed the Bears before 63,509 fans at Candlestick Park. Mr. Rice, with his first TD, tied the record of 11 consecutive games scoring a touchdown. His third TD tied was his 18th of the season, tied the single season record for touchdown receptions in a season, set by Mark Clayton of the Miami Dolphins in 1984. Amazingly, Mr. Rice tied the record despite missing 3 games because of the NFL players' strike earlier in the season.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Simo Goes Poing!--KCD (4th week at #1)

War
A helicopter carrying refugees from Tkvarcheli, Abkhazia, Georgia was shot down, resulting in at least 52 deaths, including 25 children. The incident resulted in more concerted Russian military involvement on behalf of Abkhazia.

Politics and government
Ralph Klein officially took office as Premier of Alberta, replacing the retiring Don Getty.

December 13, 2012

370 years ago
1642

Exploration
Dutch navigator Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand.

150 years ago
1862

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of General Robert E. Lee, turned the tide in the Battle of Fredericksburg, repelling a series of attacks by the Army of the Potomac under General Ambrose Burnside.

120 years ago
1892

Religion
The Cincinnati Presbytery of the U.S. Presbyterian Church voted 31-27 to suspend Henry P. Smith, professor at Lane Theological Seminary, for heresy.

90 years ago
1922

Died on this date
Hannes Hafstein, 61. Minister for Iceland, 1904-1909, 1912-1914. Mr. Hafstein, the son of Governor of North and East Iceland Pétur Havstein, was the first Icelander to be appointed to the Danish Cabinet while being responsible to the Icelandic Althing. He was managing director of the Bank of Iceland after both his terms as Minister, resigning as director of the Bank in 1917 because of declining health. Mr. Hafstein died nine days after his 61st birthday.

75 years ago
1937

Abominations
Japanese troops under the command of General Matsui Iwane destroyed much of the Chinese capital of Nanking, murdered 150,000 male "war prisoners" and 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and girls in what became known as the Rape of Nanking.

70 years ago
1942

Football
NFL
Championship
Chicago Bears 6 @ Washington 14

Two years after being humiliated 73-0 at home by the Bears in the NFL championship game, the Redskins defeated the previously undefeated Bears before 36,006 fans at Griffith Stadium to win their second NFL title. The Bears opened the scoring early in the 2nd quarter when Lee Artoe returned a fumble 52 yards for a touchdown. Mr. Artoe missed the convert, and the Bears led 6-0. Later in the quarter, Washington quarterback Sammy Baugh completed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Wilbur Moore. Bob Masterson converted to put the Redskins ahead 7-6. Andy Farkas rushed 1 yard for a touchdown midway through the 3rd quarter, and Mr. Masterson converted to give the Redskins a 14-6 lead. Neither team mounted mush of an offense: the Bears rushed for 102 yards and passed for 119, while the Redskins rushed for 104 and passed for just 66. Mr. Baugh completed 5 of 13 passes for 66 yards and 2 interceptions, while Chicago quarterbacks Sid Luckman and Charlie O’Rourke completed 8 of 17 for 119 yards and 3 interceptions. The Bears had posted an 11-0 record during the regular season, while the Redskins had been 10-1.

60 years ago
1952

Hit Parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart--Vera Lynn; Eddy Howard (4th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James (Best seller--2nd week at #1, Disc Jockey--1st week at #1); The Glow-Worm--The Mills Brothers (Juke Box--2nd week at #1)

U.S. top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Why Don't You Believe Me--Joni James
--Patti Page
2 The Glow-Worm--The Mills Brothers
3 It's in the Book (Parts 1 and 2)--Johnny Standley
4 I Went to Your Wedding--Patti Page
5 You Belong to Me--Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and his Orchestra
--Patti Page
6 Lady of Spain--Eddie Fisher
--Les Paul
7 Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes--Perry Como
8 Trying--The Hill Toppers
9 Jambalaya--Jo Stafford
10 Takes Two to Tango--Pearl Bailey

Singles entering the chart were I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Jimmy Boyd (#16); Oh Happy Day by Don Howard (#19); My Baby's Coming Home by Les Paul and Mary Ford (#27); Till I Waltz Again with You by Teresa Brewer (#31); A Full Time Job (#34)/Ma Says, Pa Says (#38) by Doris Day and Johnnie Ray; and Everything I Have is Yours by Eddie Fisher (#41). My Baby's Coming Home is the B-side of Mr. Paul's version of Lady of Spain.

50 years ago
1962

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Return to Sender--Elvis Presley

On television tonight
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Bonfire, starring Peter Falk and Dina Merrill

Space
The United States launched the satellites Injun 3 and Relay 1. The mission of the former was to study cosmic rays, while the mission of the latter was to act as a communications repeater, and was the first such satellite to be launched.

40 years ago
1972

Space
Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt began their third and last moonwalk at 3:26 P.M. Mountain Standard Time (5:26 P.M. Eastern Standard Time). In 7 hours and 15 minutes they collected 150 pounds of lunar samples and took 9 gravimeter measurements. It was the last moonwalk ever performed.

Health
The pharmaceutical branch of the Distillers' Company offered more than 300 British victims of thalidomide a new compensation deal said to be worth £11.85 million over 10 years.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Faith--George Michael (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France: La Bamba--Los Lobos (9th week at #1)

Football
NFL
New York Giants (4-9) 24 @ St. Louis (6-7) 27

31,324 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium saw the Cardinals play their last home game after 28 seasons in St. Louis. They became the Phoenix Cardinals in 1988.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Would I Lie to You?--Charles & Eddie (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Die da--Die Fantastischen Vier

Died on this date
K.C. Irving, 93. Canadian industrialist. A native of Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Mr. Irving formed the Irving Oil Company in 1924, and extended his business interests to include transportation, oil refining, mining, pulp and paper, and communications. His fortune was estimated to be $8.5 billion at the time of his death.

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Zal Yanovsky, 57. Canadian musician. Mr. Yanovsky, a Toronto native who moved to New York, played lead guitar and sang with the folk-rock group the Mugwumps, who recorded briefly in 1964, before joining the Lovin’ Spoonful, who had a string of hit singles from 1965-1967. Mr. Yanovsky and bass guitarist Steve Boone were busted for marijuana possession in 1966. Mr. Yanovsky was threatened with deportation to Canada, so he and Mr. Boone identified their supplier to the authorities. Mr. Yanovsky became disenchanted with the musical direction of the group in 1967, and departed that summer after recording the single Six O’Clock. He eventually returned to Canada, performing and composing as a solo artist, and opening a restaurant named Chez Piggy in Kingston, Ontario.

Diplomacy
The European Union announced that Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia would become members of the EU as of May 1, 2004.

December 12, 2012

225 years ago
1787

Americana
Pennsylvania became the 2nd state to ratify the United States Constitution.

150 years ago
1862

War
The Union ship USS Cairo sank on the Yazoo River, becoming the first armoured ship to be sunk by an electrically detonated mine.

75 years ago
1937

War
During the Sino-Japanese War, the gunboat USS Panay was sunk by Japanese warplanes in Chinese waters.

Football
NFL
Championship @ Wrigley Field, Chicago
Washington 28 @ Chicago Bears 21

Rookie quarterback Sammy Baugh completed threw touchdown passes of 55 and 78 yards to Wayne Millner and 35 yards to Ed Justice in the 3rd quarter as the Redskins won their first NFL title before 15,878 fans. Cliff Battles of the Redskins opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown rush in the 1st quarter, but Chicago’s Jack Manders scored 2 touchdowns in 3 minutes and 13 seconds later in the quarter, on a 10-yard rush and a 37-yard pass from Bernie Masterson. Riley Smith converted all Washington touchdowns, while Mr. Manders did the same for the Bears. There was no scoring in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Mr. Baugh completed 17 of 34 passes for 358 yards; Mr. Masterson and Ray Buivid shared the Bears’ quarterbacking and combined to complete just 7 of 28 passes for 172 yards and 3 interceptions. Mr. Manders led all rushers with 64 yards on 10 carries, while Mr. Millner led all receivers with 181 yards on 8 receptions.



70 years ago
1942

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): White Christmas--Bing Crosby (7th week at #1)

War
German troops began Operation Winter Storm, an attempt to relieve encircled Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad. Soviet authorities claimed that 169,000 German soldiers had been killed and 74,500 taken prisoner in the Russian offensive around Stalingrad.

Crime
An arsonist, reputedly a German agent, set a fire in the Knights of Columbus hostel in St. John's, Newfoundland during the live radio broadcast of Uncle Tim's Barn Dance, killing 99 people and seriously injuring another 109, mostly military personnel and their dates. The hall was a firetrap with doors that opened inward; while the fire station was just 180 metres away, the fire did its damage in just nine minutes.

Labour
For the second time, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt directed Montgomery Ward and Company of Chicago to obey a National War Labor Board order and sign a maintenance-of-member contract with the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Horse racing
Whirlaway, with Wendell Eads up, won the Louisiana Handicap in New Orleans.

Tennis
The United States Lawn Tennis Association ranked Frederick Schroeder and Pauline Betz as the top male and female players, respectively, in the annual rankings.

60 years ago
1952

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Here in My Heart--Al Martino (5th week at #1)

On television tonight
Tales of Tomorrow, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Fatal Flower, starring Victor Jory and Don Hanmer



40 years ago
1972

Space
Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt continued their exploration of the moon, spending 7 hours and 37 minutes in their second lunar excursion.

30 years ago
1982

On the radio
The Stories of Sherlock Holmes, starring Graham Armitage and Kerry Jordan, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: The Porter Muse Mystery

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy: La Bamba--Los Lobos (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Faith--George Michael (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Faith--George Michael (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Fairytale of New York--The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): China in Your Hand--T'Pau (4th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): China in Your Hand--T'Pau (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Faith--George Michael

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Faith--George Michael
2 Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle
3 (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
4 Should've Known Better--Richard Marx
5 Is This Love--Whitesnake
6 Shake Your Love--Debbie Gibson
7 We'll Be Together--Sting
8 So Emotional--Whitney Houston
9 Don't You Want Me--Jody Watley
10 The One I Love--R.E.M.

Singles entering the chart were What Have I Done to Deserve This by Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield (#71); Because of You by Cover Girls (#88); and Reason to Live by Kiss (#89).

Canada’s top 10 (RPM)
1 (I've Had) The Time of My Life--Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
2 I Think We're Alone Now--Tiffany
3 Faith--George Michael
4 Heaven is a Place on Earth--Belinda Carlisle
5 Mony Mony (Live)--Billy Idol
6 Got My Mind Set on You--George Harrison
7 Try--Blue Rodeo
8 Pop Goes the World--Men Without Hats
9 We'll Be Together--Sting
10 I've Been in Love Before--Cutting Crew

Singles entering the chart were Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac (#85); In God's Country by U2 (#88); Motortown by the Kane Gang (#91); Once Upon a Long Ago by Paul McCartney (#92); Only the Strong Survive by Bryan Adams (#95); Closer Every Day by the Jitters (#96); and Rain in the Summertime by the Alarm (#97).

Defense
During a visit to Denmark, U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz called on America's North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to sharply increase their defense spending.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): End of the Road--Boyz II Men (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Kurisumas ukyaroru no koroni ha--Junichi Inagaki (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Because the Night--Co.Ro featuring Tarlisa (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Sweat (A La La La La Long)--Inner Circle (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Dur dur d'être bébé!--Jordy (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston

#1 single in the U.K. (Chart Information Network): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The (Elvis) Letter--Wayne Newton
2 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston
3 If I Ever Fall in Love--Shai
4 Rump Shaker--Wreckx-N-Effect
5 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
6 I'd Die Without You--PM Dawn
7 Rhythm is a Dancer--Snap!
8 Good Enough--Bobby Brown
9 Real Love--Mary J. Blige
10 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton

Singles entering the chart were Deeper and Deeper by Madonna (#35); Give it Up, Turn it Loose by En Vogue (#53); Everything's Gonna Be Alright by Father MC (#77); Baby, I Believe in You by George LaMond (#79); I Love You Period. by Dan Baird (#83); and Quality Time by Hi-Five (#90). The presence of The (Elvis) Letter at #1 should probably be headlined under "Scandal." According to this blog post and this forum post, Cash Box was accused of rigging its country charts in a late-1980s version of payola. A new chart director, Kevin Hughes, who was apparently going to expose and clean up the operation, was murdered by former chart director Richard D'Antonio (see here, and the court record of Mr. D'Antonio's unsuccessful appeal here). As for The (Elvis) Letter, it topped the Cash Box pop and country charts, while not even appearing on the Billboard Hot 100 or Adult Contemporary charts. It also failed to chart in Canada, as far as I've seen. The (Elvis) Letter appeared as a track on an album by Mr. Newton; as a single, it was released as a cassette single that was shipped to media outlets, and was never commercially available. I was still listening to the radio in 1992, and I never heard the song; in fact, I never heard of it until I saw it listed on the Cash Box chart.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Song Instead of a Kiss--Alannah Myles (4th week at #1)
2 How Do You Talk to an Angel--The Heights
3 Layla--Eric Clapton
4 To Love Somebody--Michael Bolton
5 Do You Believe in Us--Jon Secada
6 Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses--U2
7 Drive--R.E.M.
8 Keep the Faith--Bon Jovi
9 I Will Always Love You--Whitney Houston
10 Love Can Move Mountains--Celine Dion

Singles entering the chart were Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion) by Def Leppard (#61); Deeper and Deeper by Madonna (#76); 7 by Prince (#82); Paper Doll by Fleetwood Mac (#84); Stop the World by Extreme (#87); Soul Drifter by Lindsey Buckingham (#88); The Mind of Love (Where is...) by k.d. lang (#89); and Ignoreland by R.E.M. (#91).

Married on this date
Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence. The small family ceremony in Scotland was the second marriage for the Princess Royal and the first for the Royal Navy Commander.

10 years ago
2002

Died on this date
Dee Brown, 94. U.S. author. Mr. Brown was a librarian, novelist, and historian. His best-known book was Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1970), which told the history of Native Americans from the perspective of the Indians.

December 11, 2012

730 years ago
1282

Died on this date
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (Llywelyn the Last), 59. Prince of Wales, 1247-1282. Llywelyn was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England in 1277. He was killed in the Battle of Orewin Bridge, and his head was chopped off.

410 years ago
1602

War
The citizens of Geneva repelled a surprise attack by forces under the command of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain.

220 years ago
1792

World events
King Louis XVI of France was put on trial for treason by the National Convention.

150 years ago
1862

War
In the U.S. Civil War, the Union Army of the Potomac under General Ambrose Burnside occupied Fredericksburg, Virginia.

140 years ago
1872

Theatre
Buffalo Bill Cody made his first stage appearance, playing himself in a Chicago-based production of The Scouts of the Prairie.

90 years ago
1922

Politics and government
Gabriel Narutowicz, who had no party affiliation but was widely believed to represent left-wing views, took office as President of Poland, two days after being elected to the position by the country's National Assembly.

75 years ago
1937

Diplomacy
Italy left the League of Nations.

Football
CRU
Grey Cup @ Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Toronto 4 Winnipeg 3

A field goal by Earl Selkirk and a punt single by Bob Isbister provided the scoring for the Argonauts as they edged the Blue Bombers before 11,522 fans on a cold day in the latest Grey Cup ever played, as far as the calendar is concerned. The Blue Bombers had the first scoring opportunity of the game when Bob Fritz recovered Art West's fumble on the Winnipeg 40-yard line and appeared to be gone for a touchdown, only to be tackled by Mr. Isbister at the Toronto 7-yard line. The play set up a punt single by Steve Olander, which gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, Winnipeg's Fritz Hanson fumbled a punt by Mr. Isbister, and Bill Bryers recovered for the Argonauts at the Winnipeg 20-yard line, leading to Mr. Selkirk's 31-yard field goal and a 3-1 Toronto lead. The Blue Bombers thought they'd scored a touchdown when Toronto's Bill Stukus fumbled a punt and Bill Ceretti of the Blue Bombers returned it for a touchdown, but Winnipeg was penalized for no yards, although newspaper reports said the infraction was far from flagrant. The umpire who made the call, Eddie Grant, was from Winnipeg, and had scored the only point for the Winnipeg Tammany Tigers in the ir 24-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators in the 1925 Grey Cup. Mr. Olander punted for another single in the 2nd quarter and Mr. Isbister did the same for the Argonauts, and Toronto led 4-2 at halftime. In the 3rd quarter, Greg Kabat of the Blue Bombers missed a 40-yard field goal but scored a single to reduce the deficit to 4-3, but that was the end of the scoring. It was the last Grey Cup without a touchdown until 1975.

50 years ago
1962

On television tonight
The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Floyd Gibbons Story

Died on this date
Arthur Lucas, 54. U.S. criminal. Ronald Turpin, 29. Canadian criminal.
Mr. Turpin was hanged at the Don Jail in Toronto for the murder of Toronto policeman Frederick Nash. Mr. Lucas, originally from the state of Georgia, was hanged at the Don Jail for the murder in Toronto of a police informant from Detroit. The executions, which took place simultaneously back-to-back, were, unfortunately, the last to take place in Canada.

World events
The U.S.S.R. announced that O.V. Penkovsky, head of the foreign department of the State Committee on Co-ordination of Scientific Research, had been arrested on a charge of giving state secrets to U.K. businessman Greville Wynne and Richard Carl Jacob, secretary-archivist of the U.S. embassy in Moscow. Mr. Wynne had been arrested in Budapest on November 2 and was awaiting trial on espionage charges, while Mr. Jacob had been expelled from the Soviet Union on a charge of spying.

Protest
1,500 placard-waving students threw debris at police as part of a demonstration against a lack of French-Canadian employees in executive positions at Canadian National Railways. Canadian Finance Minister Walter Gordon had recently stated that the lack of French-Canadian executives was not the result of discrimination, but a lack of qualified applicants.

Academia
Chrysler Corporation of Canada President Ron Todgham told the Montreal Rotary Club that most of Canada's college campuses had Communist or pink cells, and that there was a danger that some of the students would become "permanent converts to alien ideologies...For some reason which I have never heard satisfactorily explained, a great many of our young people in the Western world begin to sneer at the principles of democracy somewhere around the age of 16 and they keep it up for the next five or six years. It's a stage they seem to go through--like adolescent mental measles. And it's not a very flattering commentary on our educational system." Mr. Todgham suggested that businessmen create junior achievement clubs, miniature companies with shares: "Everything they learn, observe and absorb in the course of junior achievement activity is calculated to expose the fallacies of Communism and to emphasize the virtues of the free enterprise theory." (The Globe and Mail, Toronto, December 12, 2962, p. 2).

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Ben--Michael Jackson

Died on this date
Harvey Swados, 52. U.S. author. Mr. Swados was an essayist, novelist and short story writer whose books included Out Went the Candle (1955); False Coin (1959); Nights in the Gardens of Brooklyn (1960); A Radical's America (1962); Standing Fast (1970); and Celebration (1975). He died of a cerebral aneurysm.

Space
Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt landed in the Taurus-Littrow valley of the moon in the lunar module Challenger. They unloaded the Lunar Roving Vehicle and embarked on their first moonwalk, which lasted 7 hours and 12 minutes.

Football
NFL
New York Jets (7-6) 16 @ Oakland (9-3-1) 24

Daryle Lamonica completed touchdown passes of 39 yards to Fred Biletnikoff and 68 yards to Raymond Chester, and handed off to Charlie Smith for a 1-yard touchdown rush to lead the Raiders over the Jets before 54,843 fan at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. New York quarterback Joe Namath, playing with a sore throat, completed 25 of 46 passes for 403 yards and a 49-yard touchdown pass to Rich Caster.



30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Beat Surrender--The Jam (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Mickey--Toni Basil

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Truly--Lionel Richie (2nd week at #1)
2 Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates
3 Mickey--Toni Basil
4 The Girl is Mine--Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
5 Steppin' Out--Joe Jackson
6 Dirty Laundry--Don Henley
7 Gloria--Laura Branigan
8 Muscles--Diana Ross
9 It's Raining Again--Supertramp
10 Sexual Healing--Marvin Gaye

Singles entering the chart were All Those Lies by Glenn Frey (#83); I Knew You When by Linda Ronstadt (#85); Painted Picture by the Commodores (#87); Give it Up by Steve Miller Band (#88); and Cross My Heart by Lee Ritenour (#89).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Dirty Laundry--Don Henley
2 Gloria--Laura Branigan
3 Da Da Da--Trio
4 Truly--Lionel Richie
5 It's Raining Again--Supertramp
6 Up Where We Belong--Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
7 Maneater--Daryl Hall & John Oates
8 The Look of Love--ABC
9 Down Under--Men at Work
10 Rock This Town--Stray Cats

Singles entering the chart were Africa by Toto (#42); Der Kommissar by Falco (#43); I Do by J. Geils Band (#46); Do You Really Want to Hurt Me by Culture Club (#47); The Other Guy by Little River Band (#49); and Be Good Johnny by Men at Work (#50).

Basketball
NCAA
The University of Virginia Cavaliers, led by Ralph Sampson, defeated the Georgetown University Hoyas 68-63 before 19,035 fans at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland in a made-for-television game broadcast on WTBS.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Whenever You Need Somebody--Rick Astley (2nd week at #1)

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Sweat (A La La La La Long)--Inner Circle (12th week at #1)

December 10, 2012

225 years ago
1787

Born on this date
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. U.S. educator. Mr. Gallaudet trained as a clergyman, but declined offers of pastorates because of concerns for his health, and instead made his name as a teacher of deaf students, using manual communication instead of the oral method of communication then in vogue in America. In 1817, he founded what became the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Gallaudet resigned as his school's director in 1830, but continued to teach in Hartford, and in 1838 became chaplain to the Connecticut Retreat for the Insane. He died on September 10, 1851 at the age of 64. Gallaudet University, a private university for deaf and hearing-impaired students founded in 1864, was renamed in Mr. Gallaudet's honour in 1894.

110 years ago
1902

Abominations
Women were given the right to vote in Tasmania.

100 years ago
1912

Born on this date
Philip Hart. U.S. politician. Mr. Hart, a Democrat, was a United States Senator from Michigan from 1959 until his death from cancer on December 26, 1976 at the age of 64.

80 years ago
1932

World events
Thailand adopted a constitution and became a constitutional monarchy under King Rama VII.

60 years ago
1952

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley, on BBC Home Service
Tonight’s episode: The Blue Carbuncle

I Was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews
Tonight’s episode: The Kiss of Death

On television tonight
The Unexpected, hosted by Herbert Marshall, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Some Day They'll Give Us Guns, starring James Anderson and Bobby Driscoll

This was the last episode of the series.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Do You Really Want to Hurt Me--Culture Club

Died on this date
Freeman Gosden, 83. U.S. actor. Mr. Gosden, with Charles Correll, starred in the Sam 'n' Henry radio comedy series from 1926-1928 on WGN in Chicago. When they moved to WMAQ in 1928, the characters and series became known as Amos 'n' Andy, and they played he roles on radio until November 1960. Mr. Gosden played Amos, Kingfish, and various other characters.

25 years ago
1987

Died on this date
Jascha Heifetz, 86. Lithuanian-born U.S. musician. Mr. Heifetz was considered one of the greatest violinists in history from his public debut at the age of 7 in his native Lithuania until a shoulder operation forced his retirement in 1972.

20 years ago
1992

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

December 9, 2012

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Mary Ann Murphy and Maria Mercedes Forero Hernandez!

90 years ago
1922

Politics and government
Poland's National Assembly elected former Foreign Minister Gabriel Narutowicz to be the country's first President. Mr. Narutowicz had no party affiliation, but was widely believed to represent left-wing views.

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Girl who Saw Tomorrow, starring Thomas Coley and Lois Wheeler

Weather
The Great Smog of 1952, four days of dense fog in England, finally cleared. 4,000 deaths were blamed on the smog.

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: My Ding-A-Ling--Chuck Berry (3rd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Popcorn--Hot Butter (5th week at #1)
2 Burning Love--Elvis Presley
3 Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me--Mac Davis
4 Garden Party--Rick Nelson & the Stone Canyon Band
5 Rock Me Baby--Johnny Farnham
6 Sugar Me--Lynsey De Paul
7 You Wear it Well--Rod Stewart
8 Boppin' the Blues--Blackfeather
9 Breaking Up is Hard to Do--The Partridge Family
10 Too Young--Donny Osmond

Singles entering the chart were You're a Lady by Peter Skellern (#28) and One's on the Way by Loretta Lynn (#31).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): I Am Woman--Helen Reddy

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Papa was a Rollin' Stone--The Temptations
2 I Am Woman--Helen Reddy
3 Me and Mrs. Jones--Billy Paul
4 You Ought to Be with Me--Al Green
5 I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo
6 If You Don't Know Me by Now--Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
7 Summer Breeze--Seals and Crofts
8 Clair--Gilbert O'Sullivan
9 It Never Rains in Southern California--Albert Hammond
10 Ventura Highway--America

Singles entering the chart were Crocodile Rock by Elton John (#64); The Relay by the Who (#70); Jambalaya by the Blue Ridge Rangers (#72); Looking Through the Eyes of Love by the Partridge Family (#73); Remember (Christmas) by Nilsson (#74); The Red Back Spider by Brownsville Station (#91); Didn't We by Barbra Streisand (#92); The Jean Genie by David Bowie (#93); Slipping into Christmas by Leon Russell (#94); More Power to You by Tommy Tate (#95); I Can't Stand to See You Cry by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (#96); We Need Order by the Chi-Lites (#98); Harry Hippie by Bobby Womack and Peace (#99); and On and Off (Part 1) by Anacostia (#100). The Blue Ridge Rangers were really John Fogerty recording as a one-man band. I Can't Stand to See You Cry was the last single released by the Miracles with Smokey Robinson before he embarked on a career as a solo artist.

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo
2 I Am Woman--Helen Reddy
3 I Can See Clearly Now--Johnny Nash
4 Listen to the Music--The Doobie Brothers
5 Sunny Days--Lighthouse
6 Summer Breeze--Seals and Crofts
7 Clair--Gilbert O'Sullivan
8 Ventura Highway--America
9 Running Back to Saskatoon--The Guess Who
10 It Never Rains in Southern California--Albert Hammond

Singles entering the chart were If You Don't Know Me by Now by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (#72); Danny's Song by Anne Murray (#79); Keeper of the Castle by the Four Tops (#85); Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul (#88); Everybody Loves a Love Song by Mac Davis (#90); Don't Let Me be Lonely Tonight by James Taylor (#91); I Wanna Be with You by Raspberries (#92); Blue Suede Shoes Again by Mike Hugg (#96); Oh Babe, What Would You Say by Hurricane Smith (#97); Rocky Mountain High by John Denver (#98); Reelin' and Rockin' by Chuck Berry (#99); and Your Mama Don't Dance by Loggins & Messina (#100).

Calgary’s Top 10
1 Ben--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)
2 Last Song--Edward Bear
3 Something's Wrong with Me--Austin Roberts
4 It Never Rains in Southern California--Albert Hammond
5 Clair--Gilbert O'Sullivan
6 I'd Love You to Want Me--Lobo
7 I'm Stone in Love with You--The Stylistics
8 I Am Woman--Helen Reddy
9 Julia Get Up--Rich Dodson
10 I Believe in Music--Gallery
Pick hit of the week: Keeper of the Castle--The Four Tops

Died on this date
Louella Parsons, 91. U.S. journalist. Miss Parsons wrote the first newspaper gossip column in the United States with the Chicago Record Herald
from 1914-1918, but made her name as a movie and gossip columnist from the mid-1920s until the mid-1960s with newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst.

Disasters
Gateway Aviation pilot Martin Hartwell was found alive in the Northwest Territories, 31 days after crashing 180 miles off course while on a medical emergency flight from Cambridge Bay to Yellowknife. Judy Hill, a 27-year-old British nurse who had pleaded with Mr. Hartwell to make the flight, was killed on impact. Neemee Nulliayok, a pregnant Inuit woman experiencing labour problems, died several hours later. David Kootook, a 14-year-old Inuit boy with appendicitis, had survived until December 1, when he finally succumbed. He had fetched food for himself and Mr. Hartwell, who had been immobilized by fractures to broken ankles, his left knee, and his nose. Mr. Hartwell had also eaten parts of Miss Hill; Mr. Kootook had refused to participate in cannibalism.

25 years ago
1987

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

Protest
The Palestinian intifada ("shaking off") began in the Gaza Strip with thousands taking to the streets to protest the deaths of four Palestinians the previous day when their station wagon had been hit by an Israeli truck.

Sport
England's cricket tour of Pakistan was interrupted when umpire Shakoor Rana refused to take the field for the second test match when English captain Mike Gatting refused to apologize to him after a heated exchange the previous day.

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): House of Love--East 17 (3rd week at #1)

Died on this date
Vincent Gardenia, 72. U.S. actor. Mr. Gardenia was born in Naples but moved with his family to Brooklyn at an early age. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1972) and was nominated for Best Actor for the musical Ballroom (1979). Mr. Gardnenia was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and Moonstruck (1987).

World events
U.S. Marines landed in Somalia as part of an effort to prevent local warlords from preventing distribution of humanitarian aid to starving people.

Britannica
British Prime Minister John Major announced the formal separation of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.