December 13, 2016

975 years ago
1041

Politics and government
Michael V was proclaimed Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, three days after the death of his uncle Michael IV.

380 years ago
1636

Defense
In what is recognized today as the founding of the U.S. National Guard, the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians.

100 years ago
1916

Born on this date
Archie Moore. U.S. boxer. Mr. Moore, born Archibald Wright and nicknamed "The Mongoose," had one of the longest professional careers on record, compiling a record of 185-23-10-1 from 1935-1963. He was world light heavyweight champion from 1952-1962, but fought mostly as a heavyweight in later years. Mr. Moore was regarded as one of the best fighters and hardest punchers in history, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He also acted in several films and television programs, and worked with underprivileged youth after his boxing career. Mr. Moore died of heart failure on December 9, 1998, four days before his 85th birthday.

90 years ago
1926

Football
AFL
New York (10-5) 7 @ Chicago (5-6-3) 3

Larry Marks rushed 43 yards for a touchdown in the 4th quarter to give the Yankees their win over the Bulls before 8,000 fans at Comiskey Park in the last regular season game of the American Football League. Chicago kicker Joey Sternaman had opened the scoring by drop-kicking a 20-yard field goal earlier in the 4th quarter.

80 years ago
1936

Football
NFL
Championship @ Polo Grounds, New York
Green Bay 21 Boston 6

The Boston Redskins, as Eastern Division champions, were entitled to host the game, but Redskins' owner George Preston Marshall, who had already announced plans to move the team to Washington, moved the championship game to New York. Green Bay tailback Arnie Herber completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Don Hutson, and Ernie Smith's convert gave the Packers a 7-0 lead after the 1st quarter. The Redskins scored their only points in the 2nd quarter on a 2-yard touchdown rush by Pug Rentner. The convert attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the Packers ahead 7-6 at halftime. Mr. Herber connected with Milt Gantenbein for an 8-yard touchdown pass, converted by Mr. Smith, and the Packers led 14-6 after 3 quarters. Bob Monnett rushed for a 2-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter, converted by Paul Engebretsen. It was the Packers' fourth NFL championship, and their first since the introduction of a championship playoff game in 1933. Attendance was 29,543.



75 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Chattanooga Choo Choo--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (Vocal refrain by Tex Beneke and the Four Modernaires) (3rd week at #1)

War
The governments of Hungary and Bulgaria announced that a state of war existed between their respective countries and the United States. Russian armies reportedly continued their advance against German forces. U.S.S.R. Ambassador to the United States Maxim Litvinov said in Washington that the Soviet Union intended to concentrate on defeating Germany, and would not join the war against Japan at the moment. British Governor of Hong Kong Mark Young rejected a Japanese demand for the surrender of the island, as defense of the island was organized into a West Brigade, commanded by Brigadier J. K. Lawson, and including the Winnipeg Grenadiers; and an East Brigade, under Brigadier C. Wallis, including the Royal Rifles of Canada. Major-General Christopher Maltby deployed both Canadian units to defend the southern beaches against a seaborne attack, as heavy Japanese artillery fire and air raids began. The Venezuelan embassy in Washington announced that Venezuela had opened her ports to ships of all American nations fighting the Axis. Argentina issued a decree recognizing the United States as a non-belligerent, and declaring Argentine neutrality toward Germany and Italy. The U.S. Navy conceded that Guam had apparently been captured by Japanese forces, while U.S. Army Lieutenant General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters claimed that Filipino troops had wiped out a Japanese landing party in the Lingayen area of Luzon.

World events
German authorities in Paris announced that 100 "Jews, Communists, and anarchists" would be executed as a result of attacks on German soldiers.

Economics and finance
In a move to prevent hoarding or speculation, the U.S. Office of Production Management froze sugar stocks and limited new deliveries by importers and refiners to 1940 levels.

Labour
The Administration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the selection of 12 industry representatives and 12 labour leaders to draft a basic war labour policy.

Disasters
More than 500 people were killed in a mud and rock slide in Huaraz, Peru.

Tennis
The United States Lawn Tennis Association announced its annual rankings, with Bobby Riggs as the top men's player, and Sarah Palfrey Cooke as the top women's player.

70 years ago
1946

War
U.S. Reparations Commissioner Edwin Pauley charged that Soviet forces had done $850 million in damage by dismantling industrial facilities during their occupation of Manchuria.

Politics and government
The British House of Commons ended a two-day debate by endorsing the government policy on Indian independence.

Defense
U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes told the United Nations General Assembly that the United States had 550,000 troops stationed aborad, mainly in Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea.

Americana
Abilene, Kansas announced that the boyhood home of U.S. Army General Dwight Eisenhower would be preserved as the centre of a $1-million memorial to him and the U.S. armed forces.

Protest
The National Negro Congress in New York picketed screenings of the Walt Disney movie Song of the South as "an insult to the Negro."

Crime
A grand jury in Atlanta indicted white supremacist organization Columbians, Inc. President Emory Burke and Secretary Homer Loomis on charges of conspiracy to riot, and illegal possession of dynamite.

Football
AAFC
Brooklyn (3-10-1) 20 @ Miami (3-11) 31

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Je vais revoir ma blonde--Darío Moreno (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
Anastasia, directed by Anatole Litvak, and starring Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, and Helen Hayes, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
Charging Egypt with "wholesale repression" of its Jewish population, Israel's United Nations delegate Abba Eban cited reports of mass Egyptian deportations of stateless Jews.

Protest
The Budapest Central Workers Council extended the general strike for 24 hours to protest the arrest of council chairman Sandor Racz and his aide Sandor Bari.

World events
News that former President Paul Magloire had left Haiti with his family for Jamaica touched off celebrations in Port-au-Prince.

Health
The Japanese Health Ministry reported that an influenza epidemic affecting 13,000 people had caused 130 deaths to date.

Baseball
The Brooklyn Dodgers traded third baseman Jackie Robinson, 37, to the New York Giants for journeyman pitcher Dick Littlefield, 30, and $30,000. Mr. Robinson retired rather than play for the Dodgers' hated rivals, although the Giants had offered him $60,000 to play for them in 1957. Mr. Robinson batted .275 with 10 home runs and 43 runs batted in in 117 games in 1956, and .250 with 1 home run and 4 RBIs in 7 games as the Dodgers lost the World Series to the New York Yankees 4 games to 3. Mr. Littlefield played with three major league teams in 1956, posting a 0-0 record with an earned run average of 4.15 in 6 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates; 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in 3 games with the St. Louis Cardinals; and 4-4 with 2 saves and a 4.08 ERA in 31 games with the Giants.

50 years ago
1966

On television tonight
Quentin Durgens, M.P. , starring Gordon Pinsent, on CBC

The Doomsday Flight, starring Edmond O'Brien, Van Johnson, Jack Lord, and John Saxon, on NBC

Directed by William Graham and written by Rod Serling--inspired by a true story told to him by his brother Bob--this was the second-highest rated U.S. network program of the 1966-67 season and the highest-rated made-for-television movie to date. The story about a disgruntled former airline employee who claims to have planted a bomb aboard a plane that will explode if the plane drops below a certain altitude inspired eight "copycat" threats to Trans World Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, Pan American Airlines, and Northwest Orient Airlines within the next six days, with the first threat coming at 10:45 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, while the program was still on the air. Similar threats occurred when the movie was rebroadcast in 1971--to the great regret of Rod Serling on both occasions. The movie had aired already in Canada on CTV on December 10, with no bomb threats reported that I'm aware of.





40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Money, Money, Money--ABBA (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Abayo--Naoko Ken (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Libertad Sin Ira--Jarcha

Environment
The International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries accepted Canada's 200-nautical mile (370-kilometre) limit.

Hockey
WHA
International Series (exhibition)
C.S.S.R. (0-2) 4 @ Edmonton 6

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): The Final Countdown--Europe

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Don't Leave Me This Way--The Communards (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Caravan of Love--The Housemartins

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): The Final Countdown--Europe (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
2 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
3 The Next Time I Fall--Peter Cetera with Amy Grant
4 Everybody Have Fun Tonight--Wang Chung
5 Walk Like an Egyptian--Bangles
6 Hip to Be Square--Huey Lewis and the News
7 Human--Human League
8 Notorious--Duran Duran
9 To Be a Lover--Billy Idol
10 Love Will Conquer All--Lionel Richie

Singles entering the chart were Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi (#83); Caught Up in the Rapture by Anita Baker (#84); Facts of Love by Jeff Lorber featuring Karyn White; A Trick of the Night by Bananarama (#87); I Wanna Go Back by Eddie Money (#88); and True to You by Ric Ocasek (#89).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 The Next Time I Fall--Peter Cetera with Amy Grant
2 Amanda--Boston
3 Two of Hearts--Stacey Q
4 The Lady in Red--Chris de Burgh
5 Stand by Me--Ben E. King
6 You Give Love a Bad Name--Bon Jovi
7 The Way it Is--Bruce Hornsby and the Range
8 Human--Human League
9 The Rain--Oran "Juice" Jones
10 True Blue--Madonna

Singles entering the chart were Open Your Heart by Madonna (#83); Change of Heart by Cyndi Lauper (#88); Big Time by Peter Gabriel (#93); and Every Beat of My Heart by Rod Stewart (#96).

25 years ago
1991

Diplomacy
The Organización de Estados Centroamericanos (ODECA) countries signed the Protocol of Tegucigalpa, extending earlier cooperation for regional peace, political freedom, democracy and economic development.

Health
The Quebec Superior Court ruled that "there is nothing to identify miuf (urea formaldehyde foam) as the cause (of) health problems" experienced by those who used this product, which had been approved by the government of Canada, to insulate their homes between 1977-1979. 80,000 Canadians insulated their homes with the foam, and the plaintiffs rejected the government's offer of $5,000 to have it removed, demanding greater compensation. The ruling was a bitter result for these people since it did not recognize the federal government's responsibility to grant compensation greater than the amounts previously offered.

20 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Don't Speak--No Doubt

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Breathe--The Prodigy (2nd week at #1)

At the movies
The Preacher's Wife, starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Courtney B. Vance, opened in theatres.



Diplomacy
The United Nations Security Council chose Kofi Annan of Ghana to be the UN's seventh Secretary-General.

Baseball
Pitcher Roger Clemens signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays. Mr. Clemens had been an outstanding pitcher with the Boston Red Sox from 1984-1996, but had had an off-season in 1996, posting a record of 10-13 with an earned run average of 3.63 in 34 games.

10 years ago
2006

Died on this date
Lamar Hunt, 74. U.S. sports magnate. Mr. Hunt, a son of Texas oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, was one of the founders of the American Football League, which began play in 1960 and eventually merged with the National Football League in 1970. The team he founded and owned, the Dallas Texans, won the AFL Championship in 1962, and then moved to Kansas City to become the Chiefs, winning AFL Championships in 1966 and 1969, followed by a victory in Super Bowl IV in January 1970. Mr. Hunt came up with the name Super Bowl for the game which was originally known as the NFL-AFL Championship Game. He helped to promote the North American Soccer League and its successor, Major League Soccer. Mr. Hunt also co-founded World Championship Tennis, and was one of the founding investors of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. He was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1972 and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1992. Mr. Hunt died of prostate cancer.

Politics and government
Former New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord announced his resignation as leader of the province's Progressive Conservative party and as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Moncton East effective January 31, 2007. Mr. Lord's government had been defeated by the Liberals, led by Shawn Graham, in the September 18 provincial election.