Monday 7 December 2009

December 9, 2009

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Mary Ann Murphy!

75 years ago
1934


On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Louis Hector and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Today’s episode: The Case of Vamberry, the Wine Merchant

Football
NFL
Championship
Chicago Bears 13 @ New York 30

The Giants scored 27 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 13-3 deficit in shocking the defending champion Bears at the Polo Grounds. The difference in the game came when the Giants switched from football cleats to basketball sneakers at halftime, which proved to have better traction on the frozen turf. The Bears went into the game having cruised to the West Division title with a record of 13-0, while the Giants led the East with a record of just 8-5. 35,059 were in attendance to see the Giants avenge their loss to the Bears in the previous year’s championship game. The game marked the end of the career of the legendary Red Grange, who by 1934 was a reserve back with the Bears.



70 years ago
1939


Canadiana
Quebec adopted a new coat of arms and the motto, "Je me souviens" (I Remember).

Football
CRU
Grey Cup @ Lansdowne Park, Ottawa
Winnipeg 8 Ottawa 7

Art Stevenson punted for a single from the Ottawa 8-yard line to give the Blue Bombers the win before 11,738 fans on a cold day in the first Grey Cup in which the winning point was scored on the final play. The play was set up with less than 2 minutes remaining when Orville Burke of the Rough Riders, who hadn’t fumbled once during the regular season and playoffs, lost his second fumble of the game when he dropped a punt from Mr. Stevenson at his own 45-yard line. Jeff Nicklin recovered for Winnipeg and ran to the 35. A few plays later Mr. Stevenson punted into the Ottawa end zone; Mr. Burke attempted to kick it back, but the ball went off the side of his foot and out of bounds at the 8-yard-line, with time for just one more play. The Rough Riders scored first on a 65-yard pass; Mr. Burke completed to Tommy Daley, who then lateralled to Andy Tommy, who took it the rest of the way. Tiny Herman converted to make it 6-0. Mr. Burke lost his first fumble of the day on his 10-yard line; the Blue Bombers recovered, and Andy Bieber rushed for a touchdown to cut the lead to 6-5. Greg Kabat’s convert was wide, but he tied the game with a single off a wide field goal in the second quarter. The third quarter was scoreless, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, Winnipeg’s Les Lear blocked a punt, and the Blue Bombers got the ball on the Ottawa 10-yard line. The defense held, and Mr. Kabat missed another field goal, but got a single to put the Blue Bombers ahead 7-6. The Rough Riders tied the game when Mr. Herman missed a field goal from the Winnipeg 25 and the ball went for a single point to tie the game 7-7.

60 years ago
1949


Football
The National Football League and All-America Football Conference merged, with the expanded league to be called the National-American Football League. The Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts were admitted to the NAFL, while the New York Yankees, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Hornets, and Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC folded.

40 years ago
1969


Hit parade
#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Grüezi wohl, Frau Stirnimaa--Die Minstrels (7th week at #1)

Diplomacy
U.S. Secretary of State William Rogers proposed a Middle East peace plan that called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied Egyptian territory; a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, and establishment of a demilitarized zone. Mr. Rogers also urged the need for a "unified Jerusalem" with Israel and Jordan sharing alike in its life and freedom of movement for all. He stressed the need for Israeli access to the Gulf of Aqaba, but touched only indirectly on occupied Jordanian or Syrian territory.

Labour
A bitter campaign culminated with Tony Boyle defeating Jock Yablonski for the presidency of the United Mine Workers of America by a margin of 80,577 votes to 46,073 in an election widely suspected of being corrupt.

30 years ago
1979


Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Jezebel--Jon Stevens (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Video Killed the Radio Star--The Buggles

25 years ago
1984


Football
NFL
Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams broke O.J. Simpson's N.F.L. single season rushing record by gaining 215 yards in a 27-16 victory over the Houston Oilers at Anaheim Stadium. Mr. Dickerson wound up with 2,105 yards for the year, compared with Mr. Simpson's 1973 mark of 2,003. It should be noted that the NFL season was 16 games long in 1984, and just 14 games in 1973.

20 years ago
1989


Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Lambada--Kaoma (11th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Girl I'm Gonna Miss You--Milli Vanilli (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Lily was Here--David A. Stewart and Candy Dulfer (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Hélène--Roch Voisine

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): You Got It (The Right Stuff)--New Kids on the Block (3rd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
2 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
3 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
4 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
5 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
6 Back to Life--Soul II Soul
7 Angelia--Richard Marx
8 With Every Beat of My Heart--Taylor Dayne
9 Love Shack--The B-52's
10 Pump Up the Jam--Technotronic featuring Felly

Singles entering the chart were Tell Me Why by Expose (#67); We Can't Go Wrong by the Cover Girls (#73); Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths (#90); I Don't Know by Michael Morales (#92); A Girl Like You by the Smithereens (#93); Heart by Neneh Cherry (#94); Gimme Your Good Lovin' by Diving for Pearls (#96); Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode (#97); and 500 Miles by the Hooters (#99).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
2 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
3 Angelia--Richard Marx
4 Back to Life--Soul II Soul
5 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
6 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
7 With Every Beat of My Heart--Taylor Dayne
8 Rhythm Nation--Janet Jackson
9 Don't Close Your Eyes--Kix
10 Love Shack--The B-52's

Singles entering the chart were Tell Me Why by Expose (#72); No More Lies by Michel'le (#81); Serious Kinda Girl by Christopher Max (#83); We Can't Go Wrong by the Cover Girls (#87); Woman in Chains by Tears for Fears (#89); and Hide Your Heart by Kiss (#94).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Angelia--Richard Marx
2 When I See You Smile--Bad English
3 We Didn't Start the Fire--Billy Joel
4 Blame it on the Rain--Milli Vanilli
5 (It's Just) The Way that You Love Me--Paula Abdul
6 Another Day in Paradise--Phil Collins
7 Love Shack--The B-52's
8 Don't Know Much--Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
9 Giving Away a Miracle--Luba
10 Rocklandwonderland--Kim Mitchell

Singles entering the chart were Cruel Life by Ray Lyell & the Storm (#78); Hands On by Lee Aaron (#80); What Kind of Man Would I Be? by Chicago (#82); Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue (#84); Bring it All Back by Grayson Hugh (#86); Woman in Chains by Tears for Fears (#88); This One's for the Children by New Kids on the Block (#90); and Don't Make Me Over by Sybil (#92).

World events
The military uprising against Philippine President Corazon Aquino, which had begun December 1, ended with the fall of a key airport. The official casualty toll for both sides was reported as 119 killed and 418 wounded.

Politics and government
The East German Communist Party chose Gregor Gysi, a lawyer, to succeed Egon Krenz, who had resigned six days earlier, as General Secretary and the country’s head of state.

Diplomacy
U.S. National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft and Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger began two days of kowtowing to meeting with Chinese Communist party and government leaders in Beijing. Although it was announced that the purpose of the meeting was for the U.S. representatives to brief the Chinese on the recently-concluded Malta summit that ended the Cold War with the U.S.S.R., it was widely assumed that an attempt to improve relations between China and the United States was the principal focus.

Hockey
NHL
Toronto 7 Montreal 4

10 years ago
1999


At the movies
This blogger and attractive female company attended a preview screening of Anna and the King, starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. This was at least the third movie version of the story, after Anna and the King of Siam (1946) and The King and I (1956). I think I'm one of the few people who remember the short-lived television series Anna and the King which aired in the fall of 1972, in which Yul Brynner reprised his role as the king, and Samantha Eggar played Anna.

Politics and government
A Reform Party protest against a land claims agreement between the government of Canada and the Nisga’a Indians of British Columbia ended after 43 hours of voting in the House of Commons, which is how long it took to defeat 471 amendments proposed by Reform MPs.

Crime
The government of Ontario introduced a bill to create a province-wide registry to track pedophiles and other sex offenders who move from one community to another.

Law
The Supreme Court of Hawaii upheld a 1998 amendment to the state constitution that forbade same-sex marriages. The court had held in 1993 that state laws limiting marriages to heterosexual couples were unconstitutional, but the legislature passed a law the following year banning sodomite marriages, and the voters, in a 1998 referendum, approved the constitutional amendment allowing such a law.

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