December 30, 2021

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Gladys Lucy Pomazongo Levano!

430 years ago
1591

Died on this date
Innocent IX. Roman Catholic Pope, 1591. Innocent IX, born Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti, became a priest in 1544 and was made a cardinal in 1583. He succeeded Gregory XIV on thee papal throne, and was crowned on November 3, 1591. He died after less than two months in office, and was succeeded by Clement VIII.

180 years ago
1841

Died on this date
Vitus Bering, 60. Danish explorer. Commander Bering was a cartographer served in the Russian Navy and led the First Kamchatka Expedition (1725-1731), which explored the Asian Pacific Coast, and the Great Northern Expedition (1733-1743), which explored the Arctic coast of Siberia and parts of the North American coastline. He died of scurvy on an uninhabited island, later named in his honour, near the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Bering Strait and Bering Sea are among the things named in Commander Bering's honour.

170 years ago
1851

Born on this date
Asa Candler. U.S. businessman and politician. Mr. Candler founded the Coca-Cola Company in 1892, and managed the company until 1917, when he took office as Mayor of Atlanta, serving until 1919. He died on March 12, 1929 at the age of 77, three years after suffering a stroke.

160 years ago
1861

Defense
As a result of the "Trent Affair" (the seizure of two Confederate diplomats from a British vessel on the high seas), 6,000 British troops from the 62nd Wiltshire Regiment landed at St. Andrews, New Brunswick with orders to march overland to Canada to defend against a possible American invasion.

125 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Tom Keene. U.S. actor. Mr. Keene, whose real name was George Duryea, also acted under the name Richard Powers. He appeared in more than 120 movies and television programs, mainly low-budget Westerns. Mr. Keene's movies included Our Daily Bread (1934) and Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959). He died of cancer on August 4, 1963 at the age of 66.

Died on this date
José Rizal, 35. Filipino writer and polymath. Dr. Rizal, an ophthalmologist by profession, was a Philippine nationalist who was a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement, which advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain. His writings were blamed by Spanish authorities for helping to incite the Philippine Revolution in 1896. While en route to Cuba via Spain to minister to victims of yellow fever. Dr. Rizal was arrested and charged with rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy. Despite disavowing the revolution in its present state, he was convicted by a court martial and was executed by a Spanish firing squad in Manila. Dr. Rizal is regarded as a national hero in the Philippines.

Hockey
Stanley Cup
Montreal Victorias 6 @ Winnipeg Victorias 5 (1-game challenge)

Ernie McLea scored 3 goals, including the winner on a breakaway with less than 2 minutes remaining, to give Montreal the Cup over defending champion Winnipeg at Granite Rink in the first challenge to be played outside Montreal. Mr. McLea became the first player to score a hat trick in a Stanley Cup game. Winnipeg took an early 3-0 lead and led 4-2 at halftime.

110 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Jeanette Nolan. U.S. actress. Miss Nolan appeared in numerous radio and television programs and in movies such as Macbeth (1948) and The Big Heat (1953). She was nominated for four Emmy Awards, and died on June 5, 1998 at the age of 86.

Politics and government
Sun Yat-sen was elected the first President of the Republic of China.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Rashid Karami. Prime Minister of Lebanon, 1955-1956; 1958-1960; 1961-1964; 1965-1966; 1966-1968; 1969-1970; 1975-1976; 1984-1987. Mr. Karami, an independent politician, had a political career of more than 30 years, and was Lebanon's Prime Minister 10 times. He advocated increased political power for the country's Muslim population, and was known as a man that Lebanon's President could call on in a crisis, despite political differences. Mr. Karami was killed on June 1, 1987 at the age of 65 and the country’s interior minister and several other people were injured when a bomb exploded in his helicopter during a flight to Beirut from his home town of Tripoli. It was believed that the bomb had been placed in his briefcase or under his seat. The co-pilot made an emergency landing. Mr. Karami had submitted his resignation on May 4, but President Amin Gemayel had not yet formally accepted it.

90 years ago
1931

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Hindoo in the Wicker Basket

80 years ago
1941

Movies
The New York Film Critics Circle Awards for 1941 were presented. The winners were: Picture--Citizen Kane; Director--John Ford (How Green was My Valley); Actor--Gary Cooper (Sergeant York); Actress--Joan Fontaine (Suspicion).

Diplomacy
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, where he delivered his "Some chicken...some neck" speech, and then posed for a famous photograph by Yousuf Karsh. Go here to see the full text of the speech.



U.K. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden returned to London from his conference in Moscow with U.S.S.R. dictator Josef Stalin.

War
The U.S.S.R. announced that Soviet troops on the Caucasian front had landed on the Crimean peninsula, occupying the town and fortress of Kerch. Dispatches from Manila reported that Japanese troops were within 100 miles of the city. U.S. aviator Charles Lindbergh was revealed to have volunteered for active serice in the U.S. Army Air Forces. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 25,829,788 men in the continental United States aged 20-44 who could be drafted for military service.

Space
Dr. Edwin Hubble of the Mount Wilson Observatory in California said that as a result of six years of observation through the observatory's 100-inch telescope, he doubted the theory that the universe was expanding.

Politics and government
Philippine President Manuel Quezon and Vice President Sergio Osmena were inaugurated into their second terms in a wartime ceremony near U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters.

Lieutenant General A.E. Percival declared martial law in Singapore, following four Japanese air raids the previous night.

Crime
Seven people were indicted in New York on charges of sending vital information to Germany.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that plans were underway to boost U.S. war production to 50% of the national income, or about $50 billion in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1942.

U.S. federal Price Administrator Leon Henderson froze wholesale cigarette prices at the levels prevailing on December 26, and fixed maximum retail prices for automobile tires and tubes at the level in effect on November 25.

Labour
Greyhound companies agreed to arbitrate the strike of 1,800 bus drivers.

75 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Old Lamp-Lighter--Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye (Vocal refrain by Billy Williams and Choir)
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hal Derwin
2 Ole Buttermilk Sky--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Michael Douglas and the Campus Kids)
--Hoagy Carmichael
--Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers
--Paul Weston and his Orchestra with Matt Dennis
3 Rumors are Flying--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--The Andrews Sisters with Les Paul
--Betty Rhodes
--Tony Martin
4 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons--King Cole Trio
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
--Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra
5 A Gal in Calico--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Bing Crosby with the Calico Kids
--Johnny Mercer
6 The Things We Did Last Summer--Frank Sinatra
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
7 Huggin' and Chalkin'--Hoagy Carmichael
--Johnny Mercer
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
8 The Whole World is Singing My Song--Les Brown and his Orchestra
9 Passe--Tex Beneke with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Margaret Whiting
10 Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were the version of (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons by Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra That's the Beginning of the End, with versions by Perry Como; and the King Cole Trio (#32).

On the radio
The Casebook of Gregory Hood, starring Elliott Lewis and Howard McNear, on MBS
Tonight`s episode: The Payoff

Died on this date
Charles Wakefield Cadman, 65. U.S. composer and critic. Mr. Cadman was appointed music editor and critic for the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1908, and was regarded as a leading expert on American Indian music, writing and lecturing on the subject, and allowing it to influence his compositions. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s, helping to found the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, performing there as a piano soloist, and composing scores for motion pictures in the early years of sound movies. Mr. Cadman wrote music in various genres, but was best known for his 40-year collaboration with lyricist Nelle Richmond Eberhart, who wrote librettos for his operas and words for his songs. He died six days after his 65th birthday.

Movies
The New York Film Critics Circle Awards for 1946 were presented. The winners were: Picture--The Best Years of Our Lives; Director--William Wyler (The Best Years of Our Lives); Actor--Laurence Olivier (Henry V); Actress--Celia Johnson (Brief Encounter); Foreign Language Film--Open City.

War
After conferring with French officials in Indochina, French Overseas Territories Minister Marius Moutet reiterated France's determination to re-establish "order" in the territory before resuming negotiations with nationalist guerrillas.

Politics and government
Republican Party U.S. congressional leadership filled majority posts in the new Senate: Arthur Vandenberg (Michigan)--President pro tempore; Wallace White, Jr. (Maine)--Majority floor leader; Robert Taft (Ohio)--steering committee chairman; Kenneth Wherry (Nebraska)--Majority whip; Eugene Milliken (Colorado)--Republican conference chairman.

Science
University of California physicist Glenn Seaborg, co-discoverer of plutonium, americium, and curium, was named "chemist of the year" in an American Chemical Society poll.

Energy
Despite Soviet objections, the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission appoved a U.S.-sponsored nuclear control plan recommending the creation of a strong international inspection agency not subject to a great power veto.

Argentina and Uruguay signed a pact allowing Argentina to receive electric power from the Uruguay River power project.

Economics and finance
Venezuela became the 40th nation to join the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The Allied Control Council in Berlin announced the adoption of a law forbidding Germany to manufacture, possess, import, or export any equipment that may be used to wage war.

Labour
A U.S. federal circuit court of appeals in Chicago upheld the right of a union in a closed shop to force the discharge of a member for joining a rival union.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Out There, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Bus to Nowhere, starring Leonard Barry, Arthur Batanides, and Whit Bissell

War
Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command General Matthew Ridgway announced that the Japanese government would be given custody of 1,300 Japanese war criminals still serving sentences by March 21, 1952.

Diplomacy
Foreign ministers of six Western European countries agrred in Paris on most details of the European Army plan and recommended creating a supranational Parliament of Europe by 1955.

In a year-end speech, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson admitted that "we have lost some ground" in the Middle East because of the Iranian and Suez disputes, but viewed Greece and Turkey as "bright spots."

Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded the $1,000 Newcomb Cleveland Prize to Columbia University oceanographer J. Laurence Kulp for developing a technique to measure the age of water through the radioactive carbon content of suspended organic matter.

Economics and finance
Iran banned foreign travel by its citizens, due to lack of foreign exchange.

Baseball
The Sporting News named Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals as major league player of the year for 1951 and Leo Durocher of the New York Giants as major league manager of the year. "Stan the Man" batted .355 with 32 home runs and 108 runs batted in, leading the National League in batting average, runs (124); triples (12); and total bases (355). "Leo the Lip" led the Giants to the National League pennant as they came back from a 14½-game deficit in August to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 3-game playoff.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Boomerang Won't Come Back--Charlie Drake (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Nata per me--Adriano Celentano (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Tanze mit mir in den Morgen--Gerhard Wendland

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door--Eddie Hodges (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Tower of Strength--Frankie Vaughan (4th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens (4th week at #1)
2 The Twist--Chubby Checker
3 Walk on By--Leroy Van Dyke
4 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
5 Please Mr. Postman--The Marvelettes
6 Can't Help Falling in Love--Elvis Presley
7 Peppermint Twist - Part I--Joey Dee & the Starliters
8 Moon River--Jerry Butler
--Henry Mancini, His Orchestra and Chorus
9 Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen--Neil Sedaka
10 When the Boy in Your Arms (Is the Boy in Your Heart)--Connie Francis

Singles entering the chart were Lost Someone by James Brown and the Famous Flames (#90); That's My Pa by Sheb Wooley (#95); I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song) by the Ikettes (#96); Fever by Pete Bennett and the Embers (#98); and I Told the Brook by Marty Robbins (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Norman--Sue Thompson (2nd week at #1)
2 The Wanderer--Dion
3 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
4 Hey! Little Girl--Del Shannon
5 Walkin' with My Angel--Bobby Vee
6 The Twist--Chubby Checker
7 Multiplication--Bobby Darin
8 Walkin' Back to Happiness--Helen Shapiro
9 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens
10 Please Mr. Postman--The Marvelettes

Singles entering the chart were Bonnie B by Jerry Lee Lewis (#24); Bandit of My Dreams by Eddie Hodges (#28); My Boomerang Won't Come Back by Charlie Drake (#31); Patti Ann by Johnny Crawford (#36); I Know (You Don't Love Me No More) by Barbara George (#39); Baby it's You by the Shirelles (#45); and Lonely Sixteen by Janie Black (#50).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 Norman--Sue Thompson
2 Dear Ivan--Jimmy Dean
3 The Twist--Chubby Checker
4 The Wanderer/The Majestic--Dion
5 Peppermint Twist--Joey Dee & the Starliters
6 A Little Bitty Tear--Burl Ives
7 Multiplication--Bobby Darin
8 Walkin' with My Angel/Run to Him--Bobby Vee
9 When the Boy in Your Arms (Is the Boy in Your Heart)--Connie Francis
10 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens

Singles entering the chart were Dear Lady Twist by Gary (U.S.) Bonds (#26); The Ballad of Thunder Road by Robert Mitchum (#30); Young Love by Sonny James (#34); I Could Have Loved You by Ray Peterson (#36); Mugmates/Bandit of My Dreams by Eddie Hodges (#39); and Little Altar Boy by Vic Dana (#40).

Football
NCAA
Blue-Gray Game @ Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
Gray 9 Blue 7

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Pop Concerto--Pop Concerto Orchestra

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): O Holy Night--Tommy Drennan (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
Jo Cals, 57. Prime Minister of the Netherlands, 1965-1966. Mr. Cals, a member of the Roman Catholic State Party until 1945 and the Catholic People's Party thereafter, was a member of the House of Representatives (1948-1950, 1952, 1956, 1959, 1963-1965), and was State Secretary/Minister for Education, Arts and Sciences (1950-1961) before serving as Prime Minister from April 1965-November 1966. He left politics after his government fell after losing a vote involving the budget. Mr. Cals died of a brain tumour.

World events
Iraq announced that it had expelled 60,000 Iranian men, women, and children over the past few days; Iraq had severed diplomatic relations with Iran earlier inthe month.

30 years ago
1981

Hockey
NHL
Philadelphia (22-13-1) 5 @ Edmonton (25-8-6) 7

Wayne Gretzky scored 5 goals--his 46th through 50th of the season--to lead the Oilers past the Flyers at Northlands Coliseum. Mr. Gretzky's last goal, into an empty net, gave him the distinction of reaching the 50-goal mark in one season in the fewest games; it was just the Oilers' 39th game of the season.



30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Sore ga Daiji (それが大事)--Daiji-man Brothers Band

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Live and Let Die--Guns N' Roses (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Let's Talk About Sex--Salt-N-Pepa (7th week at #1)

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Child--Mark Owen (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): Don't Speak--No Doubt (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Time to Say Goodbye--Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Head Over Feet--Alanis Morissette (7th week at #1)

Died on this date
Lew Ayres, 88. U.S. actor. Mr. Ayres had a career that spanned 65 years, but was best known for his starring role in the movie All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) and for playing Dr. Kildare in a series of nine films from 1938-1942. He died two days after his 88th birthday.

Juan Antonio Canta, 30. Spanish musician. Mr. Canta, whose real name was Juan Antonio Castillo Madico, was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who co-founded the pop group Pabellَn psiquiلtrico, who recorded four albums from 1987-1991. He then became a solo artist, and was best known for the single La danza de los 40 limones, which reached number one on the PROMUSICAE chart for five weeks in May-June 1996. Mr. Canta suffered from constant depression, and committed suicide by hanging himself at his home in Cَrdoba.

Protest
250,000 workers in Israel shut down services in protest against proposed budget cuts by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

20 years ago
2001

Terrorism
Pakistani authorities arrested Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, founder of one of the Muslim groups believed to be behind the December 13, 2001 attack on India's Parliament House in New Delhi. 12 people had been killed in the five-man attack.

Politics and government
Adolfo Rodriguez Saa resigned as interim President of Argentina, just a week after taking office.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Ronald Searle, 91. U.K.-born artist. Mr. Searle worked in various genre, but was mainly known as a cartoonist. He created and the comic strip St. Trinian's School (1946-1952), which inspired a series of comic films. Mr. Searle also illustrated the Molesworth novels written by Geoffrey Willans in the 1950s. He moved to France in 1961, and lived the rest of his life there.

Oddities
Samoa and Tokelau skipped this date, as they changed their time zones and jumped to the other side of the International Date Line, moving directly from December 29 to December 31, 2011.

December 25, 2021

975 years ago
1046

Europeana
Henry III was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II.

560 years ago
1461

Born on this date
Christina of Saxony. Queen consort of Denmark (1481-1513); Norway (1483-1513); and Sweden (1497-1501). Christina married the future King Hans in 1478, and became Queen consort when he acceded to the Danish throne upon the death of his father. Hans was subsequently elected King of Norway and conquered Sweden. Queen Christina accompanied her husband to Sweden, but he began an adulterous affair in 1501, and was removed as king, while Queen Christina was taken into custody, and wasn't permitted to return to Denmark until 1503, where she lived separately from King Hans until her death on December 8, 1521, 17 days before her 60th birthday.

310 years ago
1711

Born on this date
Jean-Joseph de Mondonville. French musician and composer. Mr. Mondonville was a classical violinist who was associated with the Chapelle royale and chamber, performing 100 concerts. He wrote grands motets, light operas, oratorios, and works for violin. Mr. Mondonville died on October 8, 1772 at the age of 60.

200 years ago
1821

Born on this date
Clara Barton. U.S. nurse. Miss Barton was a schoolteacher and self-taught nurse who aided Union Army soldiers in the American Civil War and ran the Office of Missing Soldiers after the war, identifying soldiers killed or missing in action. She founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and was its president until her retirement in 1904. Miss Barton died on April 12, 1912 at the age of 90.

190 years ago
1831

Protest
Baptist preacher Samuel Sharpe began the 11-day Great Jamaican Slave Revolt; up to 20% of Jamaica's slaves mobilized in an ultimately unsuccessful fight for freedom.

160 years ago
1861

Born on this date
Madan Mohan Malaviya. Indian educator, journalist, and politician. Mahamana Malaviya, a lawyer by profession, co-founded Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916, and was its vice chancellor from 1919-1938. He founded the English-language newspaper The Leader in 1909, and was chairman of the Hindustan Times (1924-1936). Mahamana Malaviya was a member of the Imperial Legislative Council/Central Legislative Assembly (1912-1926) while being a moderate advocate of Indian independence, and served three terms as president of the Indian National Congress. He was one of the founders of the Bharat Scouts and Guides, and died on November 12, 1946 at the age of 84.

130 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Kenneth Anderson. Indian-born U.K. military officer and politician. General Sir Kenneth served in both world wars, and was best known for commanding the British First Army during Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa and the subsequent Tunisian Campaign. He served as Governor of Gibraltar from 1947-1952. General Sir Kenneth died of pneumonia on April 29, 1959 at the age of 67.

120 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. U.K. royal family member. Princess Alice was the daughter of the Duke of Buccleuch, Scotland's largest landowner, and married Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V, in 1935. She served with the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF)/Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF), and held official positions with a dozen British Army regiments. The Duchess of Gloucester carried out public functions until she was 98, and died on October 29, 2004 at the age of 102.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Steve Otto. Polish-born Canadian politician. Mr. Otto, a Liberal, represented the Ontario riding of York East in the Canadian House of Commons (1962-1972). He was 22 days past his 67th birthday when he disappeared and was presumed dead when his sailboat hit a rock and capsized off the coast of Cuba on January 16, 1989.

Died on this date
Hans Huber, 69. Swiss composer. Mr. Huber wrote eight symphonies, five operas, four piano concertos, and other orchestral, chamber, and choral works.

Vladimir Korolenko, 68. Russian journalist and author. Mr. Korolenko wrote fiction and non-fiction expressing criticism of Russia's czarist regime; his best-known work was the short novel The Blind Musician (1886). Mr. Korolenko suffered from progressive heart disease in later years, and died of pneumonia.

90 years ago
1931

Radio
The shortwave station HCJB, "The Voice of the Andes," began broadcasting from Quito, Ecuador.

80 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Richard S. Aldrich, 57. U.S. politician. Mr. Aldrich, a son of U.S. Senator Nelson Aldrich and a cousin of the Rockefellers, was a Republican, and a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1914-1916) and Senate (1916-1918). He represented Rhode Island's 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1923-1933).

War
British forces surrendered Hong Kong to invading Japanese forces; 290 members of the Royal Rifles of Canada (a Quebec unit) and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were dead, and 493 wounded. Major John Crawford and 1,975 Canadian soldiers were captured and incarcerated at the Sham Shui Po prison camp at Kowloon for 44 months. Japanese soldiers continued their destruction of St. Stephen's College hospital in Hong Kong, killing over 100 British, Canadian and Indian wounded soldiers, as well as a number of doctors and nurses. Manila and Tokyo dispatches reported that Japanese troops had advanced at three points on the Phillipine island of Luzon despite strong resistance. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to assume command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

World events
Reuters reported from Bhagalpur, India that 320 Hindu leaders, including Dr. Syamprosad Mookerjee, finance minister of the Bengal government, had been arrested for trying to attend a conference that had been banned.

Communications
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Australian Prime Minister John Curtin formally opened a 7,420-mile direct radio-telegraph communications system between the two countries.

Politics and government
The male population of Saint Pierre voted by more than 98% for association with Free French forces, as opposed to collaboration with the Axis.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Jesse Jones announced the creation of a Small Business Unit in the Commece Department under William Shepardson.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Congressional-Executive Joint Committee on Non-Essential Expenditures, headed by Senator Harry F. Byrd (Democrat--Virginia), recommended total savings of $1.7 billion in non-defense expenditures.

Labour
Representatives of Air Associates, Inc. and the Congress of Industrial Organizations United Auto Workers of America reached an agreement in Bendix, New Jersey on a one-years contract, providing wage increases and a modified union shop.

75 years ago
1946

Died on this date
W.C. Fields, 66. U.S. actor. Mr. Fields, born William Claude Dukenfield, was famous (and beloved by this blogger) for his misanthropic persona, side-of-the-mouth vocal delivery, large nose, juggling skill, and fondness for alcohol. His movies included It's a Gift (1934); You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939); and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941). He died as a result of years of heavy drinking.

Emir Mohammed Zeinati. Palestinian crime victim. Mr. Zeinati, an Arab landowner, was slain in Haifa by unknown assassins, apparently for selling land to Jews.

Asiatica
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands proclaimed the Provisional State of East Indonesia, including all of the former Dutch East Indies east of Java and Borneo except New Guinea.

Diplomacy
The U.K. and France signed an agreement eliminating visa requirements and other restrictions on citizens of one country travelling in the other.

Politics and government
Boycotted by Communists, China's Constitutional Assembly passed a new constitution, based on British and American models, which would go into effect on January 1, 1947. Communist spokesmen called the charter "illegal' and said that it would not be recognized in Communist-held areas.

French High Commissioner for Indonesia Admiral Thierry d'Argenlieu issued a Christmas message stating, "France does not intend in the present stage of evolution of the Indochinese people to give them total and unconditional independence."

Chile's Socialist Party rejected a proposed alliance with the Communists.

Energy
The first European self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was initiated within the U.S.S.R.'s F-1 nuclear reactor.

Nuclear scientist C. Rogers McCullough revealed that researchers were constructing the world's first atomic power pile for peacetime use at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Gas for industrial use was cut off in six New Jersey counties, following a strike at the Jersey City and Piscataway Township plants of the Public Service and Electric Company.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Lonely Place, starring Judith Evelyn, Boris Karloff, and Robin Morgan

Died on this date
Harry T. Moore, 46. U.S. civil rights leader. Mr. Moore was a schoolteacher who founded, in 1934, the first branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Brevard County, Florida, and was president of the state chapter of the NAACP. His activities included registration of Negro voters in Florida and and working for equal pay for Negro teachers in public schools. Mr. Moore and his wife Harriette, 49, were at their home in Mims, Florida on Christmas night when a bomb planted under the bedroom floor exploded. The local hospital in Titusville refused to treat Negroes, and Mr. Moore died while being transported by ambulance to the closest one where he could receive treatment. Mrs. Moore was seriously injured, and died nine days later, on January 3, 1952. The murders were investigated in 1951-1952, but no one was prosecuted then or in later decades when subsequent investigations took place. A state investigation in 2005-2006 named four Ku Klux Klan members, by then long dead, as the likely murderers.

Diplomacy
Cuba and the Dominican Republic signed in Washington a declaration of peaceful intentions, as D.R. President Rafael Trujillo pardoned five Cuban sailors of plotting to overthrow the Dominican government.

Crime
The Stone of Destiny, a British royal family heirloom, was stolen from Westminster Abbey in London.

Oil
Iran nationalized the Khanaquin and Rafidian oil companies, subsidiaries of the British-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Moliendo Café--Lucho Gatica (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): L'Auto-circulation--Henri Tisot (8th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens (2nd week at #1)
2 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
3 The Twist--Chubby Checker
4 Goodbye Cruel World--James Darren
5 Walk on By--Leroy Van Dyke
6 Peppermint Twist - Part I--Joey Dee & the Starliters
7 Please Mr. Postman--The Marvelettes
8 Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen--Neil Sedaka
9 Let There Be Drums--Sandy Nelson
10 Can't Help Falling in Love--Elvis Presley

Singles entering the chart were She's Everything (I Wanted You to Be) by Ral Donner (#76); Please Come Home for Christmas by Charles Brown (#85); Go on Home by Patti Page (#91); Tuff by Ace Cannon (#92); I Told the Brook by Marty Robbins (#94); Smoky Places by the Corsairs featuring the voice of Jay "Bird" Uzzell (#95); Tears from an Angel by Troy Shondell (#96); Free Me by Johnny Preston (#97); I Need Some One by the Belmonts (#98); Santa & the Touchables by Dickie Goodman (#99); and Ev'rybody's Cryin' by Jimmie Beaumont (#100). Santa & the Touchables was a "break-in" record, a comedy record featuring excerpts from recent hits, and was Mr. Goodman's third such single in 1961, after The Touchables and The Touchables in Brooklyn.

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

On television tonight
Thriller, hosted by Boris Karloff, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Portrait Without a Face, starring Jane Greer, Robert Webber, and George Mitchell



Died on this date
Otto Loewi, 88. German-born pharmacologist. Dr. Loewi shared the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Sir Henry Dale "for their discoveries relating to chemical transmission of nerve impulses." He emigrated to Austria in 1903 and became an Austro-Hungarian citizen two years later, but spent three months in custody after the German Anschluss of Austria in 1938. Dr. Loewi was released on condition that he relinquish all his possessions, including his research, to the Nazis. He went to Britain, Belgium, and eventually the United States in 1940, becoming an American citizen in 1946.

Owen Brewster, 73. U.S. politician. Mr. Brewster was Governor of Maine (1925-1929); member of the United States House of Representatives from Maine (1935-1941); and United States Senator from Maine (1941-1952). As chairman of a special Senate committee investigating defense procurement during World War II, Mr. Brewster attacked the commercial interests of Howard Hughes, but his reputation suffered when Mr. Hughes responded with accusations of his own.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Pensiero--Pooh (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)--Benny Hill (3rd week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Maggie May/Reason to Believe--Rod Stewart (3rd week at #1)
2 Banks of the Ohio--Olivia Newton-John
3 Peace Train--Cat Stevens
4 Mammy Blue--Joel Dayde
5 Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves--Cher
6 Imagine--John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
7 Love is a Beautiful Song--Dave Mills
8 Speak to the Sky--Ricky Springfield
9 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney
10 Freedom Come, Freedom Go--The Fortunes

Singles entering the chart were Hi Honey Ho by Daddy Cool (#26); Captain Zero by the Mixtures (#31); Walking the Floor on My Hands by Johnny Farnham (#33); and Superstar by the Carpenters (#37).

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 How Do You Do--Mouth & MacNeal (2nd week at #1)
2 Non, Non, Rien N'a Changé--Poppys
3 Pappie Loop Toch Niet Zo Snel--Herman Van Keeken
4 I Will Return--Springwater
5 Coz I Luv You--Slade
6 Out of Sight, Out of Mind--Shocking Blue
7 Schön ist es auf der Welt zu sein--Roy Black + Anita
8 Without a Worry in the World--Rod McKuen
9 Soley Soley--The Middle of the Road
10 Des Chansons Pop--Poppys

Singles entering the chart were Hoog Daar Aan de Hemel by Corry en de Rekels (#15); Tightrope Ride by the Doors (#31); Family Affair by Sly & the Family Stone (#33); and Lovin' and Hurtin' by Jojo (#34).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Brand New Key--Melanie
2 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone
3 American Pie - Parts I and II--Don McLean
4 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
5 Got to Be There--Michael Jackson
6 Have You Seen Her--Chi-Lites
7 All I Ever Need is You--Sonny & Cher
8 Scorpio--Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band
9 Cherish--David Cassidy
10 Hey Girl/I Knew You When--Donny Osmond

Singles entering the chart were Black Dog by Led Zeppelin (#67); Fire and Water by Wilson Pickett (#79); Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night (#81); What am I Living For by Ray Charles (#87); Under My Wheels by Alice Cooper (#88); Son of Shaft by the Bar-Kays (#92); Love Gonna Pack Up (And Walk Out) by the Persuaders (#96); Do the Funky Penguin Part II by Rufus Thomas (#97); and Pain (Part 1) by the Ohio Players (#99).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Brand New Key-Melanie
2 Got to Be There--Michael Jackson
3 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone
4 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
5 Cherish--David Cassidy
6 American Pie - Parts I and II--Don McLean
7 All I Ever Need is You--Sonny & Cher
8 Scorpio--Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band
9 Have You Seen Her--Chi-Lites
10 Respect Yourself--Staples Singers

Singles entering the chart were Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night (#60); Together Let's Find Love by the 5th Dimension (#75); Fire and Water by Wilson Pickett (#76); Slippin' Into Darkness by War (#83); Ain't Understanding Mellow by Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager (#85); What am I Living For by Ray Charles (#86); Son of Shaft by the Bar-Kays (#87); Those were the Days by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton (as the Bunkers) (#89); Ajax Airlines by Hudson and Landry (#90); The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Robert John (#93); Come on Over to My House by Layng Martine (#96); Love Potion Number Nine by the Coasters (#97); and Jungle Fever by Chakachas (#99).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Brand New Key-Melanie
2 Family Affair--Sly and the Family Stone
3 American Pie--Don McLean
4 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
5 Have You Seen Her--Chi-Lites
6 Got to Be There--Michael Jackson
7 Cherish--David Cassidy
8 All I Ever Need is You--Sonny & Cher
9 Respect Yourself--The Staple Singers
10 Stones--Neil Diamond

Singles entering the chart were Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night (#66); Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison (#77); That's the Way I Feel About Cha by Bobby Womack and Peace (#79); Stay with Me by Faces (#82); Keep on Keeping On by N.F. Porter (#83); Footstompin' Music by Grand Funk Railroad (#85); Joy by Apollo 100 (#87); What am I Living For by Ray Charles (#89); Open the Door by Judy Collins (#92); If I Could See the Light by the 8th Day (#95); Keep Playin' that Rock 'n' Roll by Edgar Winter's White Trash (#96); Long Time to Be Alone by the New Colony Six (#98); Precious and Few by Climax (#99); and What's Going On by Quincy Jones (#100).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone (2nd week at #1)
2 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
3 Got to Be There--Michael Jackson
4 The Desiderata--Les Crane
5 Theme from Shaft--Isaac Hayes
6 Brand New Key--Melanie
7 Cherish--David Cassidy
8 Devil You--Stampeders
9 Lonesome Mary--Chilliwack
10 All I Ever Need is You--Sonny & Cher

Singles entering the chart were Happy Xmas (War is Over) by by John Lennon/Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir (#75); Don't Say You Don't Remember by Beverly Bremers (#92); Me and Bobby McGee by Jerry Lee Lewis (#93); Keep on Movin' by Aaron Space (#95); Footstompin' Music by Grand Funk Railroad (#96); Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night (#97); Drowning in the Sea of Love by Joe Simon (#98); Mexican Lady by Steel River (#99); and Let's Stay Together by Al Green (#100).

Football
NFL
NFC Divisional Playoff
Dallas 20 @ Minnesota 12

The Cowboys led 6-3 at halftime on 2 field goals by Mike Clark to 1 by Fred Cox of the Vikings, and took a 20-3 lead after 3 quarters on a 13-yard touchdown rush by Duane Thomas and a 9-yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach to Bob Hayes, both converted by Mr. Clark. Alan Page tackled Mr. Staubach in his own end zone for a Minnesota safety touch in the 4th quarter, and the Vikings closed the scoring on a 6-yard pass from quarterback Gary Cuozzo to Stu Voigt, converted by Mr. Cox. 47,307 were in attendance at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.



AFC Divisional Playoff
Miami 27 @ Kansas City 24 (2 OT)

Garo Yepremian's 37-yard field goal at 7:40 of the 2nd overtime period ended the longest game in professional football history to date (see video).

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Ooa hela natten--Attack (6th week at #1)

#1 single in France (IFOP): Je chante avec toi, liberté--Nana Mouskouri

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Going Back to My Roots--Odyssey
2 It's You, It's You, It's You--Joe Dolan
3 Endless Love--Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
4 It's My Party--Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin
5 Urgent--Foreigner
6 Prince Charming--Adam & the Ants
7 Dancing on the Floor (Hooked on Love)--Third World
8 Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie
9 Arthur's Theme (Best that You Can Do)--Christopher Cross
10 Start Me Up--Rolling Stones

Singles entering the chart were Action Man by the Village People (#18); and Abacab by Genesis (#19).

Football
NCAA
Blue-Gray Game @ Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
Blue 21 Gray 9

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Black or White-- Michael Jackson (6th week at #1)

Died on this date
Wilbur Snyder, 62. U.S. football player and wrestler. Mr. Snyder was a tackle and kicker who joined the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Interprovincial Football Union during the 1952 season. He scored just 3 points in the regular season, but scored 29 points in 5 playoff games; with the Eskimos facing elimination in the best-of-three WIFU finals, Mr. Snyder scored 13 points on a touchdown, 2 converts, and 2 field goals to help the Eskimos to an 18-12 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and added 7 points in a 22-11 win in the third game as the Eskimos advanced to the Grey Cup. Mr. Snyder kicked a convert for the Eskimos in their 22-11 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in the 1952 Grey Cup, and began wrestling professionally in the off-season in western Canada. Mr. Snyder scored 51 points in the 1953 regular season and 15 points in 3 playoff games as the Eskimos lost the WIFU finals to the Blue Bombers. He retired from football to wrestle full-time, holding various regional championship belts in National Wrestling Alliance territories until his retirement in 1984. Mr. Snyder was often referred to as "The World's Most Scientific Wrestler," and was particularly known for pioneering the abdominal stretch.

Diplomacy
Canada recognized the independent statehood of 11 member republics of the former U.S.S.R.; Canada had recognized Ukraine on December 2.

Politics and government
As the U.S.S.R. was dissolving, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev announced his resignation.

Football
NCAA
Blue-Gray Game @ Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
Gray 20 Blue 12

25 years ago
1996

Died on this date
Bill Hewitt, 68. Canadian sportscaster. Mr. Hewitt, the son of legendary hockey broadcaster Foster Hewitt, began working with his father on Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts in the mid-1950s, and eventually succeeded Foster Hewitt as the television voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, retiring in 1981. Bill Hewitt died of heart failure 17 days after his 68th birthday.

Football
NCAA
Blue-Gray Game @ Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
Blue 44 Gray 34

20 years ago
2001

Baseball
Outfielder Hideki Matsui became the highest-paid player in Japanese baseball when he signed a contract with the Yomiuri Giants for the equivalent of U.S.$4.7 million.

Football
NCAA
Blue-Gray Game @ Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
Blue 28 Gray 10

December 17, 2021

1,475 years ago
546

War
The Ostrogoths, led by Totila, sacked Rome after a nearly year-long siege, by bribing the Byzantine garrison.

150 years ago
1871

Diplomacy
Grand Duke Alexei, a son of Czar Aleksandr II of Russia, arrived in Montreal by train after more than three weeks in the United States as the head of a delegation of the Imperial Russian Navy. He had breakfast with Montreal Mayor Charles-Joseph Coursol and then visited Lachine, Quebec. Grand Duke Alexei spent the next few days visiting Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, and Niagara Falls before returning to the United States on December 23.

130 years ago
1891

Died on this date
José María Iglesias, 68. President of Mexico, 1876-1877. Mr. Iglesias, a lawyer and law professor by profession, was first elected to Congress in 1852, and held several posts, including Secretary of Justice in the Liberal cabinet of President Benito Juárez. He served on the Mexican Supreme Court in the late 1850s, and was President of the Chamber of Deputies in the late 1860s, retiring for health reasons in 1871. Mr. Iglesias was elected President of the Supreme Court in 1873, and ruled the election of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada as President in 1876 illegal because of fraud. Mr. Iglesias claimed the presidency under the constitution, holding the office from October 31, 1876-January 2, 1877. His presidency was disputed by General Porfirio Díaz, whose forces defeated those of Mr. Iglesias and forced him to flee to the United States on January 16, 1877. He returned to Mexico without incident and declined all invitations for public office, choosing to edit various journals. Mr. Iglesias died 19 days before his 69th birthday.

Economics and finance
The Canadian Bankers Association was founded in Ottawa.

125 years ago
1896

Disasters
Schenley Park Casino in Pittsburgh, the first multi-purpose arena with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America, was destroyed by a fire.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Lore Berger. Swiss authoress. Miss Berger studied German and Romance studies at the University of Basel, and volunteered for the military women's service despite being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. She wrote the novel Der barmherzige Hügel (The Mercy Hill) (1944), which was published after she committed suicide by jumping from the water tower to the Basel Bruderholz, the "mercy hill" of the novel, on August 14, 1943 at the age of 21.

Economics and finance
The maple leaf design of the new nickel Canadian 5¢ coin was proclaimed; it was originally silver, but soon changed to pure nickel.

80 years ago
1941

Movies
The U.S. Roman Catholic National Legion of Decency announced in New York its approval of Two-Faced Woman, starring Greta Garbo, after the elimination of "objectionable scenes."

War
In the Battle of Hong Kong, Japan repeated her demand for surrender of the colony, but it was summarily refused by Governor Mark Young. The garrison, which included 450 Canadians, had no hope of relief, with the sinking of two British battleships off Singapore, and the crippling of the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; invasion came the following day. Chinese troops attacked at Tamshui, Shawan, and Shumchun, to the rear of the Japanese forces besieging Hong Kong. Japanese forces landed in the state of Sarawak in northern Borneo. A Soviet communique reported that Alexin and Zukino, south of Moscow, had been recaptured. The U.S. Army and Navy commanders in Hawaii who were in charge at the time of the December 7 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor were ousted. U.S. Navy Admiral Husband Kimmel was replaced by Admiral Chester Nimitz, while U.S. Army Lieutenant General Walter Short was replaced by Lt. Gen. Delos Emmons. The U.S. House of Representatives amended the Selective Service Act by voice vote to provide for the registration of all men aged 18-64 and to make those aged 21-44 subject to military service. Dr. Fritz Hansgirg, German-born inventor of a new method of manufacturing metallic magnesium, was arrested as an enemy in the offices of Permanente Corporation in Los Altos, California, despite company protests that he was needed for defense work.

Diplomacy
The governing board of the Pan American Union set January 15, 1942 as the date of the Pan American Conference in Rio de Janeiro, at which hemispheric defense would be discussed.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Spruille Braden as Ambassador to Cuba to succeed George Messersmith.

Defense
U.S. President Roosevelt wrote a letter "to the President of the United States in 1956," urging an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for Colin Kelly III, the 18-month-old son of Colin Kelly, Jr., the U.S. Navy pilot who had been killed at the age of 26 in the successful bombing on December 10 of the Japanese battleship Haruna.

Americana
The U.S. Census Bureau revealed that the foreign-born population of New York City on April 1, 1940 totalled 2,080,020, of whom 62.4% were naturalized citizens.

Technology
Eastman Kodak announced a new film process called Kodacolor, enabling anyone to get full-colour prints from negatives in the shades of the original object. The film was to be offered to the public in six sizes in January 1947.

Economics and finance
U.S. Price Administrator Leon Henderson placed all tire sales under a consumer coupon rationing system, effective January 4, 1942.

Labour
U.S. President Roosevelt told 24 labour and management representatives that "you must reach an agreement" on war labour policy under which all work stoppages would be eliminated.

Disasters
Japan announced that 319 people had been killed and 437 injured in an earthquake in southern Formosa.

Baseball
The Associated Press poll of sportswriters named New York Yankees' center fielder Joe DiMaggio as the U.S.A.'s outstanding athlete of 1941. Mr. DiMaggio batted .357 with 30 home runs and 125 home runs in leading the Yankees to the World Series championship, and thrilled the nation by hitting safely in 56 straight games, a major league record that still stands.

75 years ago
1946

Space
A German V-2 rocket set a record altitude of 114 miles at 5,450 feet per second above the White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico.

War
Fighting between French troops and Vietnamese nationalists spread from Tonkin to Annam, as French Minister for Overseas Territories Marious Moutet left Paris for Hanoi to investigate the situation.

Defense
The U.S. House of Representatives Military Affairs Committee recommended the creation of an intelligence corps for continuous military espionage abroad, the first such organization in American history.

World events
The Turkish government arrested 44 "Marxists" and suspended two socialist parties--the Union of Istanbul Workers Syndicates and the Istanbul Workers Club--charging them with activities aimed at "reversing the economic and social order."

Politics and government
The Japanese House of Representatives defeated a Socialist motion for immediate dissolution of the Diet, while 150,000 demonstrators in Tokyo demanded the resignation of the cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.

Venezuela's new Constituent Assembly officially assumed power.

An electoral commission in Warsaw approved the candidacy of 110 conservative Peasant Party members in upcoming parliamentary elections.

Former Minnesota Governor Harold Stassen declared his candidacy for the 1948 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States.

Exploration
The U.S. Antarctic Expedition discovered a submarine mountain range which apparently connected Easter Island with the South American mainland.

Music
German orchestra conductor Wilhelm Furtwaengler was cleared by a denazification tribunal in Berlin and allowed to resume his career.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Perchance to Dream, starring William Eythe, Logan Ramsey, Louanna Gardner, and David White



Movies
The U.S. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named A Place in the Sun as the year's outstanding film and Rashomon as the best foreign film.

Diplomacy
The U.S. Civil Rights Congress presented the document We Charge Genocide to the United Nations Genocide Convention, charging the United States government with genocide against African Americans. The CRC was supported by the Communist Party U.S.A.

Africana
Sudan's National Front informed the Untied Nations that it favoured a plebiscite on Sudanese union with Egypt.

Defense
The U.S. Selective Service headquarters announced that aliens who had been working in the United States since last summer were now subject to the draft.

Politics and government
The U.S. Civil Service Commission's Loyalty Review Board ordered federal agencies to review the cases of 565 employees under a new policy permitting dismissal on the basis of "reasonable doubt" of the employee's loyalty.

Aviation
U.S. President Harry Truman presented the Collier Trophy for outstanding achievement in aviation to the helicopter industry and the armed forces for "development and use of rotary-wing aircraft."

Economics and finance
The United Kingdom ended the Bank of England's monopoly on currency exchange transactions, which had been in effect since the start of World War II.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations United Steelworkers of American wage policy committee, meeting in Pittsburgh, ordered a nationwide strike of 700,000 members for January 1, 1952 unless employees granted a 15¢ hourly wage increase and other benefits.

Disasters
A train derailment near Carneiro, Brazil caused 53 deaths.

60 years ago
1961

Disasters
Fire broke out during a performance by the Gran Circus Norte-Americano in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing more than 500 people.

Football
NFL
Cleveland (8-5-1) 7 @ New York (10-3-1) 7
Dallas (4-9-1) 24 @ Washington (1-12-1) 34
Green Bay (11-3) 24 @ Los Angeles (4-10) 17
Minnesota (3-11) 35 @ Chicago (8-6) 52
Philadelphia (10-4) 27 @ Detroit (8-5-1) 24
Pittsburgh (6-8) 0 @ St. Louis (7-7) 20



AFL
Boston (9-4-1) 41 @ San Diego (12-2) 0
Houston (10-3-1) 47 @ Oakland (2-12) 16
New York (7-7) 24 @ Dallas (6-8) 35

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mamy Blue--Pop Tops (7th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Mammy Blue--Charisma (9th week at #1)
2 Get Me Some Help--Neville Whitmill
3 Amen--Peanutbutter Conspiracy
4 Butterfly--Danyel Gerard
5 Cousin Norman--Marmalade
6 The Desiderata--Les Crane
7 Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast--Daniel Boone
8 Never Ending Song of Love--The New Seekers
9 You--Peter Maffay
10 I Believe (in Love)--Hot Chocolate

The only single entering the chart was Imagine by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (#14).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Brand New Key--Melanie
2 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
3 Hey Girl--Donny Osmond
4 The Desiderata--Les Crane
5 Two Divided by Love--The Grass Roots
6 Devil You--Stampeders
7 No Good to Cry--The Poppy Family
8 Wild Night--Van Morrison
9 I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)--The New Seekers
10 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone

Singles entering the chart were George Jackson by Bob Dylan (#26); One Monkey Don't Stop No Show by the Honey Cone (#28); Hey Big Brother by Rare Earth (#29); and Behind Blue Eyes by the Who (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Brand New Key--Melanie
2 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone
3 Can I Get a Witness--Lee Michaels
4 (I Know) I'm Losing You--Rod Stewart with Faces
5 I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)--The New Seekers
6 Devil You--Stampeders
7 Day After Day--Badfinger
8 Have You Seen Her--Chi-Lites
9 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
10 No Good to Cry--The Poppy Family

Singles entering the chart were I Can Smell that Funky Music by Eric Mercury (#27); Fly Across the Sea by Edward Bear (#28); Bless the Beasts and Children by the Carpenters (#34); Sugar Daddy by the Jackson 5 (#35); Give Us One More Chance by Pagliaro (#38); and If Santa were My Daddy by Little Jimmy Osmond (#39).

On television tonight
The Dick Cavett Show, on ABC

California Governor Ronald Reagan was one of Mr. Cavett's guests.



Abominations
U.S. Army Colonel Oran Henderson was acquitted of charges that he had covered up the massacre by U.S. forces of more than 100 civilians in the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai on March 16, 1968. Col. Henderson was the last to be tried for having a role in the massacre.

Politics and government
Steps were begun to set up the government of the new nation of Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Congress temporarily extended the current foreign aid program.

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Young Turks--Rod Stewart (3rd week at #1)
2 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
3 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
4 Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
5 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
6 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
7 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
8 Private Eyes--Daryl Hall & John Oates
9 My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack
10 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross

Singles entering the chart were Town Without Pity by Wildroot Orchestra (#18); and Oh No by the Commodores (#20).

Edmonton's Top 15 (CHED)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
2 Working for the Weekend--Loverboy
3 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
4 Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
5 Oh No--Commodores
6 Take Off--Bon and Doug McKenzie
7 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
8 Lunatic Fringe--Red Rider
9 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
10 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
11 Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie
12 Here I Am--Air Supply
13 My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack
14 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--The Police
15 No Reply at All--Genesis

Edmonton's Top 10 (CFRN)
1 Hooked on Classics--The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
4 Yesterday's Songs--Neil Diamond
5 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
6 Take Off--Bob and Doug McKenzie
7 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
8 Wired for Sound--Cliff Richard
9 Come Go with Me--The Beach Boys
10 Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks with Don Henley

Died on this date
Antiochos Evangelatos, 77. Greek composer and conductor. Mr. Evangelatos taught composition and counterpoint at the Hellenic Conservatory of Athens (1933-1974); chief musician of the National Opera (1940-1972); and music director of the National Radio Foundation (1954-1959). His compositions included symphonic works, chamber music, and stage music for ancient tragedies. Mr. Evangelatos died six days before his 79th birthday.

Terrorism
U.S. Army Brigadier General James L. Dozier was abducted by the Red Brigades in Verona, Italy.

25 years ago
1996

Abominations
Six Red Cross workers were shot dead as they slept in a hospital in Chechnya, where they were caring for victims of the war between Chechnya and Russia. The dead included Nancy Malloy, 51, from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Diplomacy
Kofi Annan of Ghana took office as Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Politics and government
Rodrigue Biron and Gilles Duceppe announced that they were candidates to lead the Bloc québécois.

20 years ago
2001

World events
Armed men stormed the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in an unsuccessful coup attempt.

Politics and government
The new parliament of the Solomon Islands chose Sir Allan Kemakeza as the new Prime Minister.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Kim Jong-il, 70. 2nd Supreme Leader of North Korea, 1994-2011. Kim Jong-il, known as "Dear Leader," became dictator of North Korea upon the death of his father Kim Il-sung. He ruled as an absolute dictator, continuing the national ideology known as Juche, and promulgating a cult of personality as the country descended further into poverty and tyranny. Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack, although reports differ as to the circumstances. He was succeeded as Supreme Leader by his son Kim Jong-un.

Eva Ekvall, 28. Venezuelan journalist. Miss Ekvall, a native of Caracas, was raised in both the U.S.A. and Venezuela, and was fluent in English and Spanish. She was Miss Venezuela 2000 and became a television news anchor, but was diagnoses with breast cancer in February 2010, and died while undergoing treatment in Houston.

December 12, 2021

200 years ago
1821

Born on this date
Gustave Flaubert. French author. Mr. Flaubert was a leading proponent of literary realism and was known for his exacting style, looking for "just the right word." His best-known work was the novel Madame Bovary (1857). Mr. Flaubert died of a cerebral hemorrhage on May 8, 1880 at the age of 58, after suffering from venereal disease for years.

190 years ago
1831

Politics and government
William Lyon Mackenzie was expelled from the Upper Canada Assembly by a Tory majority vote of 24-15 for calling the assembly a “sycophantic office,” in his newspaper The Colonial Advocate. A mob of several hundred then entered the Assembly, demanding that Lieutenant Governor John Colborne dissolve parliament; he refused. Mr. Mackenzie was re-elected in a by-election several weeks later.

120 years ago
1901

Radio
Using a 500-foot (150-metre) kite-supported antenna for reception, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal at Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland, from his company's wireless station at Poldhu, Cornwall, England.

90 years ago
1931

Football
NCAA
Army 17 Navy 7 @ Yankee Stadium, New York

80 years ago
1941

Died on this date
César Basa, 26. Filipino military aviator. Lieutenant Basa was shot down in a battle against numerically superior Japanese forces, and was the first Filipino fighter pilot to be killed in World War II; he was awarded a posthumous Silver Star.

War
Hungary and Romania declared war on the United States. The United Kingdom declared war on Bulgaria. India declared war on Japan. Panama, Honduras, Haiti, and El Salvador declared war on Germany and Italy. 54 Japanese A6M Zero fighters raided Batangas Field, Philippines; Jesْs Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fended them off, while César Basa was killed. The U.S. War Department claimed that Japanese landings at several points on the Philippine island of Luzon had been repulsed. Japanese troops advanced in northwest Malaya, while Japanese bombers raided Penang. The U.S.S.R. claimed that the German armies besieging Moscow had been routed. The British command reported that its troops had pushed 40 miles west of Tobruk, Libya and had surrounded El Gazala. The United States Coast Guard seized 14 French ships in American ports, including the luxury liner SS Normandie at New York; it was subsequently renamed USS Lafayette. A U.S. federal jury in New York convicted 14 men on charges of espionage and failure to register as agents of Germany; 19 others had already pled guilty. U.S. aviator Charles Lindbergh was scheduled to address an America First Committee in Boston, but, because of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor five days earlier, the America First Committee dissolved, and his speech, titled What Do We Mean by Democracy and Freedom?, was never delivered. The U.S. Senate passed and sent to conference a $10,572,350,705 defense appropriation bill, increasing the House of Representatives measure by $2,328,511,774.

Abominations
German Fuehrer Adolf Hitler declared the imminent extermination of the Jews at a meeting in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.

Politics and government
Three days after taking office as Premier of British Columbia, John Hart formed a Liberal/ Conservative coalition government in order to prevent the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from forming the government.

Religion
Three Protestant women's organizations merged under a single constitution as the National Council of Churchwomen at a meeting in Atlantic City.

Business
Ford Motor Company began a 24-hour day, 7-day week for all defense projects.

75 years ago
1946

Died on this date
Charles B. Thwing, 86. U.S. physicist. Dr. Thwing devised Thwing's law of inductivity.

War
Greek Prime Minister Constantin Tsaldaris accused Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Albania of creating a state of "undeclared war" in border clashes against Greece.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly passed a compromise resolution on Spain, urging member nations to recall their ministers from Spain, barring the country from participation in UN agencies, and calling on the UN Security Council to take up the issue again if Spain did not establish a democratic government "within a reasonable time."

The Council of Foreign Ministers ended its New York meetings after agreeing to set up special committees to study the Austrian and German peace treaties.

Defense
The Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force were reintegrated into one central command.

Politics and government
Socialist Léon Blum was elected by the French National Assembly to serve as President of the Provisional Government, effective December 16. He had served as Prime Minister from 1936-1937 and March 13-April 10, 1938.

Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King announced a cabinet shuffle, resulting in Paul Martin assuming the office of Minister of National Health and Welfare, replacing Brooke Claxton, who was named Minister of National Defence. Mr. Claxton replaced Douglas Abbott, who was named Minister of Finance and Receiver General. Mr. Abbott replaced J.L. Ilsley, who was named Minister of Justice, replacing Louis St. Laurent, who had recently been named Secretary of State for External Affairs.

South Korea's first occupation legislature opened in Seoul, boycotted by the rightist Han Kook Party because of the invalidation of elections in two provinces.

U.S. President Harry Truman created an office of Temporary Controls, headed by General Philip Fleming, to take over and liquidate the Office of Price Administration, Civilian Production Administration, Office of Economic Stabilization, and Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion.

Technology
Dr. Luis W. Alvarez was awarded the Robert J. Collier Aviation Trophy for his work on radar.

Journalism
Allied authorities in Tokyo issued requirements for the licensing of news media in Japan to control "propaganda" from Soviet and other sources.

Energy
U.S. President Truman named nine scientists as advisers to the Atomic Energy Commission, including Manhattan Project workers Enrico Fermi, Glenn Seaborg, and J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Scandal
The U.S. Senate War Investigating Committee heard Army engineers testify that Sen. Theodore Bilbo (Democrat--Mississippi) was active in securing over $25 million in contracts to build war installations in his state.

Labour
The government of Guatemala temporarily banned strikes and slowdowns in the face of threatened protests against United Fruit Company and International Railways of Central America.

Disasters
A fire at an ice plant in Hudson Heights, Manhattan, New York City, spread to an adjacent tenement, killing 37 people.

70 years ago
1951

Died on this date
Mildred Bailey, 44. U.S. singer. Mrs. Bailey was a jazz singer who was popular in the 1930s and '40s, performing and recording with the bands of artists such as Paul Whiteman and Red Norvo, and frequently appearing on radio. She was the older sister of musician Al Rinker, who teamed up with Bing Crosby and Harry Barris in the Rhythm Boys in the 1920s. Mrs. Bailey suffered from diabetes in later years, and died of heart failure.

War
The latest U.S. Defense Department reports placed U.S. casualties in the Korean War at 102,576 (17,441 dead).

Protest
3,000 South Koreans demonstrated in Pusan against any armistice agreement that would leave Korea divided.

Aviation
The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter made its first test flight.

Transportation
The Canadian Parliament voted to set up the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority as the Canadian project manager in cooperation with the United States.

Oil
Iran threatened to shift its oil sales to Soviet-bloc countries if former customers of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company did not place orders on Iranian terms within 10 days.

Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles (73-6-1) won a 12-round unanimous decision over world light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim (77-18-4) at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. Mr. Charles had won a 15-round unanimous decision over Mr. Maxim on May 30, 1951, when Mr. Charles was still heavyweight champion.

Baseball
Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement from the New York Yankees. The outfielder batted .325 with 361 home runs and 1,537 runs batted in in 1,736 games in 13 seasons (1936-1942, 1946-1951), leading the American League in batting twice, home runs twice, runs batted in twice, slugging twice, and runs once, while being named as the AL's Most Valuable Player three times. He was one of the best defensive center fielders in history, and helped the Yankees win 10 AL pennants and 9 World Series, batting .271 with 8 homers and 30 RBIs in 51 World Series games. He hit safely in 56 consecutive games in 1941, a record that still stands.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): When the Girl in Your Arms is the Girl in Your Heart--Cliff Richard and the Norrie Paramor Orchestra (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Services Rendered, starring Stephen Dunne and Hugh Marlowe

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Robb Findlay!

Space
The U.S.A. launched the satellite OSCAR 1, whose mission was "radio propagation." It was the first amateur radio satellite.

Economics and finance
Tickets went on sale for New Zealand’s new national Golden Kiwi lottery. All 250,000 tickets sold within 24 hours, with the £12,000 top prize (equivalent to nearly $550,000 today) four times that offered in previous lotteries.

Boxing
The Edward J. Neil Memorial Trophy, awarded annually by the Boxing Writers' Association of New York to the person doing the most for boxing in the previous year, was awarded to Gene Fullmer, National Boxing Association world middleweight champion.

50 years ago
1971

Died on this date
David Sarnoff, 80. Belarusian-born U.S. broadcasting executive. Mr. Sarnoff founded Radio Corporation of America in 1919, and led RCA until his retirement in 1970. He was a major figure in the development of radio and television.

Hockey
NHL
Minnesota 3 @ Chicago 5

Bobby Hull scored his 1,000th career point with an assist on Chico Maki's goal at 7:59 of the 1st period, and scored the winning goal at 12:21 as the Black Hawks scored all their goals in the 1st period of their win over the North Stars at Chicago Stadium. Dennis Hull scored 2 goals for the Black Hawks.

Football
NFL
Cleveland (8-5) 21 @ New Orleans (4-7-2) 17
Chicago (6-7) 10 @ Green Bay (4-7-2) 31
Dallas (10-3) 42 @ New York Giants (4-9) 14
St. Louis (4-8-1) 7 @ Philadelphia (5-7-1) 19
Atlanta (6-6-1) 3 @ San Francisco (8-5) 24
Pittsburgh (6-7) 21 @ Cincinnati (4-9) 13
Oakland (7-4-2) 14 @ Kansas City (9-3-1) 16
Denver (4-8-1) 17 @ San Diego (6-7) 45
Houston (3-9-1) 20 @ Buffalo (1-12) 14
New England (5-8) 6 @ New York Jets (5-8) 13

See video.

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Cicale--Heather Parisi

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Pretend--Alvin Stardust

#1 single in Ireland: Begin the Beguine (Volver a Empezar)--Julio Iglesias (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Begin the Beguine (Volver a Empezar)--Julio Iglesias

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Don't You Want Me--The Human League

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie
2 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
3 Pretend--Alvin Stardust
4 Annie--Miggy
5 Wünderbar--Tenpole Tudor
6 Let's Start II Dance Again--Bohannon
7 It's Raining--Shakin' Stevens
8 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
9 Should I Do It--Pointer Sisters
10 Your Love Still Brings Me To My Knees--Marcia Hines

Singles entering the chart were One of Us by ABBA (#18); Spirits in the Material World by the Police (#29); We Kill the World (Don't Kill the World) by Boney M. (#34); Saturday Nights by Patricia Paay (#37); and I'm a Rocking Machine by Babe (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--The Police
4 Oh No--Commodores
5 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind & Fire
6 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
7 Here I Am (Just When I Thought I was Over You)--Air Supply
8 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
9 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
10 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey

Singles entering the chart were Sweet Dreams by Air Supply (#74); All Our Tomorrows by Eddie Schwartz (#80); Sea of Love by Del Shannon (#81); Keeping Our Love Alive by Henry Paul Band (#88); A World Without Heroes by Kiss (#92); Every Home Should Have One by Patti Austin (#93); and Titles (Chariots of Fire) by Vangelis (#94).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind and Fire
4 Oh No--Commodores
5 Private Eyes--Daryl Hall & John Oates
6 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--The Police
7 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
8 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
9 Here I Am--Air Supply
10 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey

Singles entering the chart were Sweet Dreams by Air Supply (#78); All Our Tomorrows by Eddie Schwartz (#84); Keeping Our Love Alive by Henry Paul Band (#85); A World Without Heroes by Kiss (#86); Could it Be Love by Jennifer Warnes (#88); and Titles (Chariots of Fire) by Vangelis (#89).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Private Eyes--Daryl Hall & John Oates
4 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind & Fire
5 Oh No--Commodores
6 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
7 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
8 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--The Police
9 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
10 Here I Am (Just When I Thought I was Over You)--Air Supply

Singles entering the chart were Sweet Dreams by Air Supply (#74); Falling in Love by Balance (#84); Sea of Love by Del Shannon (#87); All Our Tomorrows by Eddie Schwartz (#88); Love in the First Degree by Alabama (#89); Call Me by Skyy (#90); Closer to the Heart by Rush (#97); Better Things by the Kinks (#98); and Blue Jeans by Chocolate Milk (#99).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 The Friends of Mr. Cairo--Jon and Vangelis (5th week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack
4 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
5 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
6 Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie
7 Oh No--Commodores
8 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--The Police
9 No Reply at All--Genesis
10 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey

Singles entering the chart were Wind Him Up by Saga (#43); Comin' In and Out of Your Life by Barbra Streisand (#45); and Waiting on a Friend by the Rolling Stones (#46).

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Mysterious Ways--U2

Europeana
The Russian Federation gained its independence from the U.S.S.R.

Law
Canadian Justice Minister Kim Campbell introduced into the House of Commons a new rape shield law that defined consent, allowing case questioning only when crucial to the defendant. The new bill restored protections lost by a court ruling the previous August.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Breathe--The Prodigy

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Breathe--The Prodigy (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Vance Packard, 82. U.S. journalist. Mr. Packard wrote for newspapers and magazines from the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, but was best known for his books critiquing trends in modern society. His books included The Hidden Persuaders (1957); The Status Seekers (1959); The Waste Makers (1960); The Pyramid Climbers (1962); The Naked Society (1964); The Sexual Wilderness (1968); A Nation of Strangers (1972); and The People Shapers (1977).

Radio
The government of Canada decided to take over operation of Radio Canada International, reversing Canadian Broadcasting Corporation President Perrin Beatty's earlier decision to close it down.

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien named Lise Thibault as Lieutenant Governor of Québec, with her appointment to take effect January 30, 1997. Mrs. Thibault was the first woman and first person with a disbility to hold the post.

Baseball
Outfielder Moises Alou signed with the Florida Marlins as a free agent. Mr. Alou, the son of Montréal Expos' manager Felipe Alou, had been with the Expos since 1990, and batted .281 with 21 home runs and 96 runs batted in in 143 games in 1996.

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Jean Richard, 80. French actor and businessman. Mr. Richard appeared in movies and television programs in a career spanning more than 40 years. He was best known for starring in the television detective series Les Enquêtes du Commissaire Maigret (1967-1990). Mr. Richard owned and managed three major circuses, two theme parks, and a private zoo.

World events
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat closed the offices of the organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Environment
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải announced the decision on upgrading the Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng nature reserve to a national park, providing information on projects for the conservation and development of the park and revised maps.

10 years ago
2011

Environment
Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent announced that Canada was withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 2002. Mr. Kent stated that the Kyoto Protocol's targets of greenhouse gas emiission reduction were unrealistic.

December 10, 2021

980 years ago
1041

Died on this date
Michael IV, 31 (?). Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, 1034-1041. Michael IV "the Paphlagonian" was the son of a peasant and worked as a money changer before his brother John found him a job in the imperial court. Michael began an affair with Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita; it was believed that they conspired to murder Emperor Romanos III. Michael and Zoë were married the day of Emperor Romanos' death, and Michael was crowned Emperor the following day. He suffered from epilepsy, and entrusted most of the business of government to his brother. Emperor Michael led his troops in a successful campaign against Bulgarian rebels in 1041, but his epilepsy got worse, and he developed dropsy in both legs. The illnesses led to his death, and he was succeeded by his nephew Michael V.

480 years ago
1541

Died on this date
Francis Dereham, 32-35. English courtier. Mr. Dereham had an affair with Catherine Howard when she was a teenager and before she became the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She made him her Private Secretary and then a Gentleman Usher of the Queen's Chamber in August 1541; when their previous relationship was exposed, Mr. Dereham admitted that there had been a pre-contract of marriage with Miss Howard, but denied that there had been any intimacy since then, and that he had been supplanted in his affections by the courtier Thomas Culpeper. Mr. Dereham was convicted of treason on December 1, and was executed at Tyburn by hanging, drawing, and quartering.

Thomas Culpeper, 27 (?). English courtier. Mr. Culpeper was a cousin of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, and a distant cousin of Catherine Howard. He was keeper of the armoury when he began an affair with Queen Catherine in 1541. The affair was discovered, and Mr. Culpeper was tried with Mr. Dereham and convicted of treason. Because of his previous status as a favourite, he was spared Mr. Dereham's punishment, and was executed at Tyburn by beheading. The heads of both men were displayed on London Bridge.

170 years ago
1851

Born on this date
Melvil Dewey. U.S. librarian. Mr. Dewey founded The Library Journal in 1876; he was one of the founders of the American Library Association, and was its secretary (1876-1891) and president (1891-1893). He was chief librarian of Columbia University Libraries (1883-1888); director of the New York State Library (1888-1906); and secretary and executive officer of the University of the State of New York (1888-1900). Mr. Dewey established the standard dimensions for catalogue cards, but was best known for creating the Dewey Decimal System of classification system, first published in 1876. He had a reputation for sexually harassing women, which finally forced his resignation as N.Y. State Library director and from active participation in the ALA. Mr. Dewey founded the Lake Placid Club as a resort in 1895, with a policy that barred Jews, Negroes, and other minorities from membership. He died from a stroke on December 26, 1931, 16 days after his 80th birthday.

160 years ago
1861

War
Forces led by Nguyễn Trung Trực, an anti-colonial guerrilla leader in southern Vietnam, sank the French lorcha L'Esperance.

Americana
The Confederate States of America accepted a rival state government's pronouncement that declared Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy.

130 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis. Governor General of Canada, 1946-1952. Field Marshal Alexander served with distinction in both World Wars, and was Commander-in-Chief of British forces in the Middle East during World War II. He was created Viscount Alexander of Tunis and was appointed Governor General of Canada, a role in which he was popular and effective. Viscount Alexander returned to England in 1952 and was given a peerage in order to join the cabinet of Prime Minister Winston Churchill as Secretary of Defense from 1952-1954. Earl Alexander died on June 16, 1969 at the age of 77. Alexander Circle in Edmonton, the street on which this blogger spent his earliest years, is named in his honour.

Nelly Sachs. German-born Swedish poet and playwright. Miss Sachs was Jewish, and fled Germany with her mother in 1940 when Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany increased. She was awarded the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature "for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength." Miss Sachs died on May 12, 1970 at the age of 78.

Transportation
The Calgary and Edmonton Railway, built in 1890-91, was absorbed by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

125 years ago
1896

Theatre
Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry received its premiere performance at Théâtre de l'Œuvre at the Nouveau-Théâtre in Paris. The production was regarded as offensive and obscene by many, and a riot broke out at the end of what turned out to be its only performance.

Born on this date
Torsten Bergström. Swedish actor. Mr. Bergström was best known as a stage actor with several companies in Stockholm, but also appeared in 32 movies from 1919 until his death on May 26, 1948 at the age of 51.

Died on this date
Alfred Nobel, 63. Swedish chemist and engineer. Mr. Nobel became fluent in six languages, and obtained the first of 355 patents at the age of 24. His best-known invention was dynamite, which he patented in 1867. Mr. Nobel acquired the weapons manufacturing firm Bofors-Gullspång in 1894. When his brother Ludwig died in 1888, several newspapers erroneously printed Alfred's obituary, with one accusing him of being a war profiteer and killer. The accusation prompted Mr. Nobel to create the Nobel Prizes to recognize those who "conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Mr. Nobel was accused of high treason against France for selling the propellant ballistite to Italy, so he moved from Paris to Sanremo, Italy in 1891, and died there from a stroke.

Transportation
The Province of British Columbia declared the Red Mountain Railway complete.

120 years ago
1901

World events
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm. The winners were Wilhelm Roentgen of Germany (Physics), for his discovery of X-rays; Jacobus Henricus van't Hoff of the Netherlands (Chemistry), for his discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions; Emil Adolf von Behring of Germany (Physiology or Medicine), for his work on serum therapy, especially its application against diphtheria; and Sully Prudhomme of France (Literature), for his poetry. The Nobel Peace Prize was (and still is) presented in Oslo in honour of the king of Norway, and the winners were Henry Dunant of Switzerland, for his role in founding the International Committee of the Red Cross; and Frederic Passy of France, for being one of the main founders of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the main organizer of the Universal Peace Congress.

110 years ago 1911 Born on this date
Chet Huntley. U.S. journalist. Mr. Huntley was a radio newscaster with CBS from 1939-1951 and ABC from 1951-1955 before joining NBC in 1955. In 1956 he was teamed with David Brinkley to provide television coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions, and the combination proved so successful that they became the network's regular evening newscasters. The Huntley-Brinkley Report ran on NBC from 1956-1970, when Mr. Huntley retired. He died of lung cancer on March 20, 1974 at the age of 62.

Died on this date
Joseph Dalton Hooker, 94. U.K. botanist and explorer. Sir Joseph, the son of botanist Sir William Jackson Hooker, obtained a medical degree and served as Assistant-Surgeon on HMS Erebus with Captain James Clark Ross's Antarctic expedition to the South Magnetic Pole (1839-1843). He worked with the Geological Survey of Great Britain (1846-1847), and was granted a leave for an expedition to the Himalayas and India (1847-1851). Dr. Hooker also conducted expeditions to Palestine (1860), Morocco (1871), and the western United States (1877). He was appointed Assistant-Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in 1855, and succeeded his father as Director, holding the position from 1865-1885. Sir Joseph was a friend of Charles Darwin and one of the earliest scientists to support the theory of evolution. Sir Joseph wrote numerous articles and monographs, with longer books that included the seven-volume The Flora of British India (1872-1897).

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Toh Chin Chye. Singaporean politician. Mr. Toh, a reader in physiology by profession, was a chairman of the People's Action Party (1954-1981), and held various cabinet posts, including Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (1959-1968). He died in his sleep on February 3, 2012 at the age of 90.

80 years ago
1931

At the movies
The Struggle, the last movie directed by the legendary D.W. Griffith, opened in theatres in New York City. It ran there for just eight days, had three-day runs in Boston and Philadelphia, and as far as I know, was screened nowhere else during its initial release.



80 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Colin Kelly, 26. U.S. military aviator. Captain Kelly was a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress pilot who flew bombing runs against the Japanese Navy in the first days after the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was killed when his B-17 exploded, but before the explosion he had ordered his crew to bail out, earning him a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross.

War
The British Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers in the South China Sea near Malaya. Imperial Japanese forces under the command of General Masaharu Homma landed on the Philippine island of Luzon; U.S. bases and Manila suburbs were bombed, while the U.S. War Department reported that American bombers had sunk the Japanese battleship Haruna off northern Luzon. Japanese forces captured Kota Bharu, an air base on the east coast of northern Malaya. The British command claimed that U.K. troops had broken the siege of Tobruk, Libya. A Soviet communique reported that Elets, 225 miles south of Moscow in the Orel sector, had been recaptured. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the Defense Communications Board to take over or close any private radio facilities if deemed necessary by the Army or Navy. U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle reported that 2,303 "enemy aliens"--1,291 Japanese, 865 Germans, and 147 Italians--had been arrested for internment. U.S. Office of Production Management Director General William Knudsen called for a 24-hour day, seven-day week in war industries in announcing a victory program in Washington. Washington state police reported that fires in the form of arrows pointing toward Seattle had been found and extinguished the previous night.

Defense
U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull proposed before the governing board of the Pan American Union that a meeting of foreign ministers of the American republics be held in Rio de Janeiro in January 1942 to discuss hemispheric defense.

Politics and government
Louis St. Laurent was sworn in as Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, succeeding the late Ernest Lapointe.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Office of Production Management banned the sale of new tires for civilian use through December 22, 1941.

Business
A Motion Picture Industry Conference Committee was organized in Chicago by film producers, distributors, and exhibitors to coordinate action on taxation, advertising, and general practices.

Disasters
The new U.S. freighter Oregon sank after colliding with a U.S. Navy ship south of Cape Cod; nine men drowned and eight were missing.

Boxing
The Boxing Writers Association of New York awarded the Edward J. Neil Memorial Plaque to world heavyweight champion Joe Louis as the outstanding boxer of the year.

75 years ago
1946

Died on this date
Damon Runyon, 66. U.S. writer. Mr. Runyon, born Alfred Damon Runyan, covered baseball and boxing for Hearst newspapers for many years, but was probably best known for his short stories about colourful characters in New York City in the 1920s and '30s. The Broadway musical Guys and Dolls (1950) was based on two of his stories. Mr. Runyon was a heavy smoker who died of lung cancer.

Walter Johnson, 59. U.S. baseball pitcher and manager. Mr. Johnson, nicknamed "The Big Train," played with the Washington Nationals from 1907-1927, compiling a record of 417-279 with an earned run average of 2.17 in 802 games. His career total of 3,502 strikeouts was the major league record until 1983, and he remains the record holder with 110 shutouts. Mr. Johnson's career win total is second to Cy Young, and was a major factor in becoming one of the first five men--and the first pitcher--to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Mr. Johnson was also a dangerous hitter, batting .235 with 24 home runs and 255 runs batted in in 933 games. He managed the Nationals from 1929-1932 and the Cleveland Indians from 1933-1935, compiling a record of 529-432. Mr. Johnson died of a brain tumour.

Television
CBS announced the development of a receiver capable of handling either black and white or colour images.

Aviation
The U.S. Army Air Forces disclosed that their first rocket plane, the Bell XS-1, capable of 1,700 miles per hour at an altitude of 80,000 feet, had been successfully flown at Muroc Lake, California.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly approved, despite Soviet opposition, a draft constitution for the International Refugee Organization.

Defense
U.S.S.R. Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov agreed in the UN General Assembly to a British proposal for creation of a veto-free international commission to inspect troops and armaments of all nations.

Politics and government
Allied commanders in Berlin approved the 14 new members of the city's council of aldermen.

Labour
General Motors President Charles Wilson, head of U.S. President Harry Truman's civil rights commission, proposed a five-point labour law program which would outlaw industry-wide bargaining and compulsory unionization as well as sympathy strikes and boycotts.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Angry Birds, starring John Forsythe, Constance Dowling, and Vaughn Taylor



Died on this date
Algernon Blackwood, 82. U.K. writer. Mr. Blackwood worked as a journalist in Britain and the United States, but was primarily known for his supernatural fiction, particularly the novellas The Willows (1907) and The Wendigo (1910). He died after a series of strokes.

War
A company of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry carried out a raid behind Hill 277 in Korea, while the Royal Canadian Regiment sent a 35-man fighting patrol against Hill 166; both patrols reached their objectives and brought back useful information on enemy defenses.

Germanica
The southwest states of Baden, Wuerttemberg-Baden, and Wuerttemberg-Hohenzollern voted in a plebiscite to merge.

Politics and government
King George VI of Great Britain resumed his state duties after his recovery from a lung operation.

Nebraska Governor Val Peterson (Republican) named conservative newspaper publisher Fred Seaton (Republican) to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Kenneth Wherry (Republican).

Crime
The Dade County sheriff's office deputized 50 Jewish war veterans to help guard Miami synagogues after the fifth dynamiting attempt against Jewish centres in the past six months failed.

U.S. author Dashiell Hammett was released from prison in Ashland, Kentucky after serving a six-month sentence for contempt of court.

Technology
The first gas turbine helicopter was tested in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Transportation
East Germany announced the completion of a new system of railroads around Berlin, circumventing the Western sectors.

Oil
Iran agreed to participate in International Court hearings on Britain's complaint against nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

Economics and finance
World Bank President Eugene Black dismissed as "unrealistic" proposals that his organization lend $1 billion per year to backward countries.

Labour
United Mine Workers of America President John L. Lewis announced that his union and soft coal operators had joined in a plan for increased coal shipments to Western Europe, involving the creation of a union-industry corporation which would charter "mothballed" U.S. Liberty ships.

Disasters
A typhoon swept the central Philippines, causing 569 deaths.

60 years ago
1961

Diplomacy
African National Congress President Albert Luthuli of South Africa accepted the 1960 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. He used his acceptance speech to denounce the South African racial policy of apartheid and to appeal for racial equality. Mr. Luthuli was awarded the prize "for his role in the non-violent struggle against apartheid in South Africa." He was put under a travel ban by the South African government and was unable to accept the prize in 1960, but the ban was lifted for 10 days in order for him to travel to Oslo to accept the prize.



Hockey
Canadian junior
Teams from Drummondville and Montreal played in the first game ever played at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal. 3,000 people attended the game, including Maurice "Rocket" Richard, who had retired from the Montreal Canadiens in 1960 after an 18-year Hall of Fame career. Formal ceremonies for the arena's opening took place in January 1962.

Football
NFL
Cleveland (8-5) 14 @ Chicago (7-6) 17
Dallas (4-8-1) 13 @ St. Louis (6-7) 31
Green Bay (10-3) 21 @ San Francisco (7-5-1) 22
Minnesota (3-10) 7 @ Detroit (8-4-1) 13
New York (10-3) 28 @ Philadelphia (9-4) 24
Pittsburgh (6-7) 30 @ Washington (0-12-1) 14

AFL
Buffalo (6-8) 10 @ San Diego (12-1) 28
Denver (3-11) 21 @ Dallas (5-8) 49
Houston (9-3-1) 48 @ New York (7-6) 21

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney (4th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mamy Blue--Pop Tops (6th week at #1)

South Africa's Top 10 (Springbok Radio)
1 Mammy Blue--Charisma (8th week at #1)
2 Amen--Peanutbutter Conspiracy
3 Butterfly--Danyel Gerard
4 Get Me Some Help--Neville Whitmill
5 You--Peter Maffay
6 Never Ending Song of Love--The New Seekers
7 Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast--Daniel Boone
8 The Desiderata--Les Crane
9 Cousin Norman--Marmalade
10 I Believe (in Love)--Hot Chocolate

Singles entering the chart were Till by Tom Jones (#18); Soley Soley by Middle of the Road (#19); and (Is This the Way to) Amarillo by Tony Christie (#20).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
2 Brand New Key--Melanie
3 Hey Girl--Donny Osmond
4 The Desiderata--Les Crane
5 It's a Cryin' Shame--Gayle McCormick
6 Two Divided by Love--The Grass Roots
7 Devil You--Stampeders
8 Wild Night--Van Morrison
9 Stones--Neil Diamond
10 No Good to Cry--The Poppy Family

Singles entering the chart were Can I Get a Witness by Lee Michaels (#29); and (I Know) I'm Losing You by Rod Stewart with Faces (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 Have You Seen Her--Chi-Lites
2 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
3 Got to be There--Michael Jackson
4 Brand New Key--Melanie
5 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone
6 Can I Get a Witness--Lee Michaels
7 (I Know) I'm Losing You--Rod Stewart with Faces
8 Stones--Neil Diamond
9 No Good to Cry--The Poppy Family
10 Lovin' You Ain't Easy--Pagliaro

Singles entering the chart were Life in the Bloodstream by the Guess Who (#19, charting with its A-side, Sour Suite); American Pie by Don McLean (#27); Tightrope Ride by the Doors (#36); Take it Slow (Out in the Country) by Lighthouse (#37); Hey Big Brother by Rare Earth (#38); George Jackson by Bob Dylan (#39); and One Monkey Don't Stop No Show by the Honey Cone (#40).

Baseball
In one of the worst trades in history, the New York Mets traded pitchers Nolan Ryan and Don Rose, outfielder Leroy Stanton, and catcher Frank Estrada to the California Angels for shortstop Jim Fregosi. Mr. Ryan was 10-14 with an earned run average of 3.97 in 30 games with New York in 1971; Mr. Rose was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 1 game with the Mets, and 11-10 with a 3.33 ERA in 31 games with the Tidewater Tides of the AAA International League. Mr. Stanton batted .190 with no home runs and 2 runs batted in in 5 games with the Mets, and .324 with 23 home runs and 104 runs batted in in 139 games with Tidewater in 1971. Mr. Estrada hit .500 (1 for 2) with no homers or RBIs in 1 game with the Mets, .252 with 7 home runs and 28 RBIs in 51 games with the Memphis Blues of the AA Dixie Association, and .260 with 6 homers and 21 RBIs in 58 games with Tidewater in 1971. Mr. Fregosi hit .233 with 5 homers and 33 RBIs in 107 games with California in 1971.

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
Edmonton's Top 10 (CFRN)
1 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
2 Hooked on Classics--The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
3 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
4 Yesterday's Songs--Neil Diamond
5 Steal the Night--Stevie Woods
6 Oh No--Commodores
7 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
8 Wired for Sound--Cliff Richard
9 Take Off--Bob and Doug McKenzie
10 Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks with Don Henley

Health
A mysterious disease mainly affecting sodomites and later known as AIDS, was causing increasing concern in the United States.

30 years ago
1991

Died on this date
Greta Kempton, 90. Austro-Hungarian-born U.S. artist. Miss Kempton, a native of Vienna, emigrated to the United States in the 1920s. She was a portrait painter who became the official White House artist during the administration of President Harry Truman (1947-1953). Miss Kempton died from heart failure.

Tippy Larkin, 74. U.S. boxer. Mr. Larkin, born Antonio Pilliteri, was world light welterweight champion in 1946, but vacated the title after just one defense because of his inability to maintain the weight. He compiled a record of 136-59-1-1 in a professional career spanning 1935-1952.

War
The Canadian Defense Department said that the Gulf War had cost Canada $690 million, below the $1 billion anticipated.

25 years ago
1996

Died on this date
Faron Young, 64. U.S. musician. Mr. Young was a country singer who had numerous hit singles from the early 1950s through the mid-1970s; his biggest hit, Hello Walls, reached #1 on the Billboard country chart and crossed over to reach #12 on the Hot 100 pop singles chart. Mr. Young's career declined in later years, and he became a heavy drinker and suffered from depression. He committed suicide by shooting himself. Mr. Young was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Politics and government
The new Constitution of South Africa was promulgated by Nelson Mandela.

20 years ago
2001

At the movies
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first in a three-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy, received its premiere screening at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. It was directed by Peter Jackson, and starred Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and many others.





Died on this date
Ashok Kumar, 90. Indian actor. Mr. Kumar, whose real name was Kumudlal Ganguly, was one of the biggest stars in the history of Indian cinema, appearing in more than 300 films and television programs in a career spanning more than 60 years, with his greatest popularity occurring in the 1940s. He was also a qualified homeopath, and acquired a reputation for delivering miracle cures. Mr. Kumar died of heart failure.

10 years ago
2011

Football
NCAA
Navy 27 Army 21 @ FedExField, Washington