December 29, 2021

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Christine Gotaas!

1,300 years ago
721

Died on this date
Genmei, 61. Empress of Japan, 707-715. Genmei, born Abe-hime, acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of her son Monmu. She moved the seat of government to Nara, and abdicated in favour of her daughter Genshō.

175 years ago
1846

Died on this date
Alexander Barrow, 45. U.S. politician. Mr. Barrow, a Whig, spent several years in the Louisiana House of Representatives before representing the state from 1841 until his death. He was the older half-brother of Washington Barrow, who represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

170 years ago
1851

Americana
The first Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in the United States opened in Boston.

140 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Jess Willard. U.S. boxer. Mr. Willard, nicknamed the Pottawatomie Giant, stood 6' 6 1⁄2" and didn't start boxing professionally until he was 29. He knocked out Jack Johnson in the 26th round in Havana on April 5, 1915 to win the world heavyweight title, thereby accomplishing what a host of "White Hopes" had failed to achieve since Mr. Johnson had won the title more than six years earlier. Mr. Willard fought just one title bout after that (a 10-round newspaper decision over Frank Moran in 1916) before being knocked out in 3 rounds by Jack Dempsey in Toledo, Ohio on July 4, 1919. Mr. Willard came out of retirement for two fights in 1923, and then retired permanently after compiling a professional record of 25-7-2. He died on December 15, 1968, two weeks before his 87th birthday.

120 years ago
1901

Politics and government
Arthur Peters was sworn in as Premier of Prince Edward Island, succeeding Donald Farquharson as head of the province's Liberal government. Lieutenant Governor Peter McIntyre had asked Mr. Peters to take office as Premier after Mr. Farquharson resigned to enter federal politics.

110 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Klaus Fuchs. German physicist. Dr. Fuchs was a socialist who became a Communist while still a student in Germany. He fled to the United Kingdom shortly after the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, and went to the United States during World War II, where he worked on the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bombs. Dr. Fuchs worked as a spy with the U.S.S.R., and illegally transferred nuclear information to the Soviets. In January 1950 he confessed to being a spy, and was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for espionage. Dr. Fuchs was released in 1959 after serving 9 1/3 years, and emigrated to East Germany, where he spent the rest of his life. He died on January 28, 1988, 30 days after his 76th birthday.

Asiatica
Mongolia gained its independence from China's Qing dynasty, enthroning the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu as Khagan of Mongolia.

Politics and government
In Nanking, Sun Yat-sen was elected provisional President of the Republic of China.

Canadiana
A proclamation restored the words Dei Gratia to Canada's coins; the Latins phrase means King (or Queen) by the grace of God.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Dobrica Ćosić. 1st President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1992-1993. Mr. Ćosić, a Serb, joined the Communist Party in 1939, and had a successful career as a novelist. He increasingly expressed concern for the Serbian population of Yugoslavia, and supported the Serbian cause in the Yugoslavian Civil War. Mr. Ćosić became the president of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro, but was removed from office after turning against Serbian nationalist leader Slobodan Milošević. He died on May 18, 2014 at the age of 92.

Politics and government
Canada's new Liberal government, under Prime Minister Mackenzie King, took office, 23 days after winning a plurality in the federal election. For Mr. King, it was the beginning of more than two decades as Canada's Prime Minister, and he eventually became the longest-serving prime minister in the history of the British Commonwealth.

90 years ago
1931

Transportation
The new Jubilee Dock was moored in Wellington Harbour in Wellington, New Zealand.

80 years ago
1941

War
A London communique reported a successful six-hour raid on December 27 on the German-occupied islands of Vaagsoe and Maaloy off the Norwegaian coast. Tokyo reports claimed that Japanese troops the previous day had captured Ipoh, the tin mining centre 290 miles north of Singapore. Japanese planes bombed the island fortress of Corregidor, about 30 miles south of Manila guarding the entrance to Manila Bay.

Diplomacy
Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King returned to Ottawa from Washington with U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who was beginning a visit to the Canadian capital.

The Argentine Foreign Ministry announced that it was recalling the country's Ambassador to Germany.

Politics and government
Mohandas Gandhi resigned as leader of the All-India Congress Party because, he said, the party's working committee had abandoned his principles of civil disobedience and non-violence.

Business
The U.S. Army formally returned the Bendix, New Jersey plant of Air Associates, Inc. to private management after operating it since October 31.

Labour
American Federation of Labor boilermakers routed picketing welders at the California Ship Building Corporation in Los Angeles.

Disasters
Portland, Oregon was shaken by a short, sharp earthquake at 10:30 A.M.

Sport
New York University miler Leslie MacMitchell was named the 1941 winner of the Amateur Athletic Union's James E. Sullivan Memorial Trophy as the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.

Auto racing
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Eddie Rickenbacker announced the cancellation of the Indianapolis 500 for 1942 because of American involvement in World War II. The speedway wasn't reopened, and the Indianapolis 500 wasn't held again, until 1946, the year after the war ended.

75 years ago
1946

At the movies
Duel in the Sun, directed by King Vidor, and starring Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, and many others, received its premiere screening in Van Nuys, California.





Terrorism
Irgun Zvai Leumi members kidnapped and flogged four British soldiers in retaliation for the British flogging of an imprisoned Zionist arrested for bank robbery.

Diplomacy
The U.S.S.R. returned to Finland Helsinki's Malm Airport, occupied since the 1944 armistice.

Defense
The U.S. Navy announced the development of the Mark 3 Toss Director, a new bombsight that permitted dive-bombers to project bombs after they had pulled out of their dives.

Politics and government
Delegates from 10 liberal political action groups voted in New York to merge into a new organization, Progressive Citizens of America, with Frank Kingdon and Jo Davidson as co-chairmen.

Labour
The Italian Confederation of Labour called off a general strike in the southern Italian city of Bari after the government agreed to a 3,000-lira weekly subsidy for the unemployed.

70 years ago
1951

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Sweet Violets--Dinah Shore; Jane Turzy (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads (Best Seller--1st week at #1); It's No Sin--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra (Disc Jockey--7th week at #1; Jukebox--1st week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 (It's No) Sin--The Four Aces (8th week at #1)
--Eddy Howard
2 Cold, Cold Heart--Tony Bennett
3 Down Yonder--Del Wood
--Joe "Fingers" Carr
--Champ Butler
4 Undecided--The Ames Brothers and Les Brown and his Band of Renown
5 Because of You--Tony Bennett
--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
6 Charmaine--Mantovani and his Orchestra
7 Shrimp Boats--Jo Stafford
8 Jealousy (Jalousie)--Frankie Laine
9 Slow Poke--Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys
10 Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads

There were no singles entering the chart.

World events
At a news conference in Erding, West Germany, four American fliers released the previous day by Hungary claimed that they had flown off course on November 19 in murky skies while transporting a diplomatic cargo from Munich to Belgrade.

Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion denounced U.S. Zionist leaders for not moving to Israel.

War
In an effort to rescue stalled armistice talks, U.S. negotiators at Panmunjom offered to forego aerial inspection of Communist positions during a cease-fire. Disagreement remained over construction of new military airports, which the Americans wanted banned.

Defense
The $44-million, 540-foot U.S. Navy destroyer leader USS Norfolk, the largest destroyer in the world, was launched in Camden, New Jersey.

Politics and government
Colombian opposition leader Carlos Augusto Noriega, President of the House of Representatives, was removed from office and physically ejected from the chamber for trying to block debate.

The U.S. House of Representatives Un-American Activities Committee urged the adoption of the death penalty for peacetime espionage in the United States.

Energy
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission announced the first use of an atomic reactor to generate electric power in the United States, near Arco, Idaho.

Health
U.S. President Harry Truman created a 15-member President's Commission on the Health Needs of the Nation, with Dr. Paul Magnuson as chairman.

Football
NCAA
Blue-Gray Game @ Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama
Gray 20 Blue 14

Baseball
New York baseball writers named New York Yankees' pitcher Allie Reynolds as the 1951 winner of the Sid Mercer Memorial Award as "player of the year." He was 17-8 with an earned run average of 3.05 in 40 games, leading the American League with 7 shutouts, batting .184 with no home runs and 11 runs batted in in 43 games. Mr. Reynolds was 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA in 2 World Series games as the Yankees defeated the New York Giants in 6 games for their third straight World Series championship.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Take Good Care of My Baby--Bobby Vee (2nd week at #1)

Los Angeles's Top 40 (KFWB)
21 Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night--Kenny Dino
22 Town Without Pity--Gene Pitney
23 Unchain My Heart--Ray Charles and his Orchestra
24 Moments to Remember--Jennell Hawkins
25 Jingle Bell Rock--Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker
26 I Don't Know Why--Linda Scott
27 Surfer Stomp--The Marketts
28 When the Boy in Your Arms (Is the Boy in Your Heart)--Connie Francis
29 Small Sad Sam--Phil McLean
30 Pocketful of Miracles--Frank Sinatra
31 Just Out of Reach--Solomon Burke
32 Big Bad John--Jimmy Dean
33 Surfin'--The Beach Boys
34 And Then Came Love--Ed Townsend
35 Jambalaya (On the Bayou)--Fats Domino
36 Tonight--Ferrante & Teicher
37 The Wanderer--Dion
38 Crazy--Patsy Cline
39 Revenge--Brook Benton
40 Dear Ivan--Jimmy Dean

Surfer Stomp,Surfin', Jambalaya (On the Bayou), The Wanderer, and Dear Ivan were entering the chart. Surfin' was the Beach Boys' first single, and this was their first entry on any chart.

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: A Quality of Mercy, starring Dean Stockwell, Albert Salmi, and Jerry Fujikawa

Boxing
Alejandro Lavorante (19-2) knocked out Von Clay (16-6-2) at 1:10 of the 2nd round of a heavyweight bout at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It proved to be the last win for Mr. Lavorante.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)--Benny Hill (5th week at #1)

On television tonight
Rod Serling's Night Gallery, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Different Ones, starring Dana Andrews and Jon Korkes; Tell David..., starring Sandra Dee and Jared Martin; Logoda's Heads, starring Patrick Macnee, Brock Peters, Denise Nicholas, and Tim Matheson

War
U.S. Air Force and Navy planes concluded three days of heavy bombing raids on military installations in North Vietnam; it was the first time since 1968 that a series of attacks against North Vietnam had lasted more than two days.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Black or White--Michael Jackson (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Let's Talk About Sex--Salt-N-Pepa (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Black or White--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)

Died on this date
Susan Wright, 44. Miss Wright, a native of Calgary, grew up in Saskatoon, where she began her career. She was best known as a stage actress, appearing frequently at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, and winning two Dora Mavor Moore Awards and an ACTRA Award. Miss Wright appeared in several films and television programs. She and her parents were staying in a house in Stratford owned by actor Brent Carver, who was absent when the others died in a fire.

Football
NFL
NFC Wild Card Playoff
Dallas 17 @ Chicago 13



AFC Wild Card Playoff
New York Jets 10 @ Houston 17



25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Thug Devotion--Mo Thugs (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)--Backstreet Boys (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Verpiss' dich--Tic Tac Toe (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Scotland (OCC): 2 Become 1--Spice Girls (2nd week at #1)

War
The Guatemalan government and leaders of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity signed a peace accord, ending a 36-year civil war.

Football
NFL
AFC Wild Card Playoff
Indianapolis 14 @ Pittsburgh 42



NFC Wild Card Playoff
Philadelphia 0 @ San Francisco 14

See video.

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Takashi Asahina, 93. Japanese orchestra conductor. Mr. Asahina founded the Kansai Symphonic Orchestra (today the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra) in 1947, and was its principal conductor until his death. He specialized in the music of Anton Bruckner.

Crime
Magloire Poissant murdered his ex-wife Colette Harnois, her two sons Mathieu MacDonald, 18, and Michael MacDonald, 15, and their friend Francis Mongrain, age 17, at Ms. Harnois' home in Lavaltrie, Quebec.

Weather
Five days of snow in Buffalo, New York ended with a record total of 6 feet 9 inches.

Disasters
Nearly 300 people were killed when a firecracker ignited fireworks stands lining narrow streets in Lima, Peru.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Robert Lee Dickey, 72. U.S. singer. Mr. Dickey was the original Bobby Purify in the rhythm and blues duo James & Bobby Purify, who achieved several charted singles from 1966-1969; their biggest hit was their first, I'm Your Puppet (1966), which reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart and #5 on the Rhythm and Blues chart. Mr. Dickey left the duo in 1971 for health reasons, and worked as a city maintenance supervisor in Tallahassee, Florida, and performing as an amateur singer and guitarist. James Purify performed as a solo artist until 1974, when Ben Moore joined him and took the name Bobby Purify.

Sport
Downhill skier Jennifer Heil was named the Canadian Press female athlete of the year for 2011. She ended her career with a sweep of the moguls and dual moguls gold medals at the World Championships.

December 26, 2021

540 years ago
1481

War
Hollander forces defeated troops of Utrecht in the Battle of Westbroek.

270 years ago
1751

Born on this date
George Gordon. U.K. military officer and politician. Lord Gordon, a member of a noble family in Scotland, represented Ludgershall in the House of Commons, and was known for his criticism of all political factions. He founded the Protestant Association in 1778 and led it in opposition to limited rights for Roman Catholics. On June 2, 1780, Lord Gordon led a crowd of 50,000 in London opposed to Catholic emancipation; their actions, initially peaceful, descended into anti-Catholic violence, and became known as the "Gordon riots." Lord Gordon was charged with high treason, but was acquitted in 1781 for lack of treasonable intent. He was excommunicated from the Church of England in 1786, and converted to Orthodox Judaism in 1787, the year he was convicted of defaming Marie Antoinette, French Ambassador to Great Britain Jean-Balthazar d'Adhémar, and the administration of justice in England. Lord Gordon died from typhoid fever in Newgate Prison on November 1, 1793 at the age of 41.

230 years ago
1791

Born on this date
Charles Babbage. U.K. mathematician and engineer. Mr. Babbage was a polymath who has been called the "father of the computer" for devising the Difference Engine, the first mechanical computer, in the 1820s, and the Analytical Engine in 1837. He died of cystitis and kidney failure on October 18, 1871 at the age of 79.

Politics and government
The Constitutional Act 1791, passed by the British Parliament on June 19, went into effect, dividing the Province of Québec along the Ottawa River into Upper Canada and Lower Canada, each with a Lieutenant-Governor and a Legislature. Lower Canada kept the French civil law (Code civil). The so-called Canada Act gave the colonies their first powers to pass duties for revenue, a form of responsible government, but the governors and council retain the right to control revenue from the sale of Crown Lands, letting them bypass the Assembly. Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester, was sworn in as Governor of Lower Canada. Members of the Legislative Council were: Chief Justices William Smith and Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry; Hugh Finlay; François-Marie Picoté de Belestre; Thomas Dunn; Paul-Roch de Saint-Ours; Edward Harrison; François Baby; John Collins; Joseph-Dominique-Emmanuel Le Moyne de Longueuil; Adam Mabane; Charles-Louis Tarieu de Lanaudière; George Pownall; René-Amable Boucher de Boucherville; and John Fraser. The Executive Council consisted of: William Smith; Paul-Roch de Saint-Ours; Hugh Finlay; François Baby; Thomas Dunn; Joseph de Longueuil; Adam Mabane; Pierre Panet; and Adam Lymburner.

210 years ago
1811

Died on this date
Abraham B. Venable, 53. U.S. politician. Mr. Venable, a Democratic-Republican, represented Virginia's 6th (1791-1793) and 7th (1793-1799) Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives, and represented Prince Edward County in the Virginia House of Delegates (1800-1803). He represented Virginia in the U.S. Senate (1803-1804), filling a vacancy, and resigned to serve as president of the Bank of Virginia. Mr. Venable was one of the victims of the Richmond Theatre fire.

George William Smith, 49. U.S. politician. Mr. Smith, a Democratic-Republican, represented Essex County and then Richmond (1802-1808) in the Virginia House of Delegates, and was Lieutenant Governor and served two brief terms as acting Governor before being elected in his own right. He had been in office for less than nine months when he died in the Richmond Theatre fire.

Disasters
A fire at the Richmond Theatre in Richmond, Virginia killed 72 of the 598 people in attendance. In addition to Messrs. Venable and Smith, the victims included many members of Richmond's high society. The fire was the worst urban disaster in American history to that date.

160 years ago
1861

Diplomacy
Confederate diplomatic envoys James Murray Mason and John Slidell were freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and the United Kingdom.

150 years ago
1871

Opera
Thespis, the first collaboration between lyricist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, received its premiere performance at the Gaiety Theatre in London.

130 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Henry Miller. U.S. writer and artist. Mr. Miller wrote travel memoirs and literary criticism, and painted watercolours, but was primarily known for his novels Tropic of Cancer (1934) and Tropic of Capricorn (1939), which weren't published in the United States for many years on grounds of obscenity. He died from circulatory problems on June 7, 1980 at the age of 88.

120 years ago
1901

Radio
Two weeks after receiving the first transatlantic radio signal at Signal Hill in St. John's Newfoundland, Guglielmo Marconi arrived in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. The Anglo-American Telegraph Company, owner of the undersea cable and holder of a monopoly of telegraphy in the province, notified him that it would take legal action unless he immediately ceased his wireless experiments and removed his equipment from Newfoundland. Mr. Marconi conferred with Nova Scotia Premier George Murray, William Smith of the Canadian Post Office, Mayor Mckenzie of North Sydney, and the Honourable J.N. Armstrong, a prominent local politician and member of the Nova Scotia cabinet. They urged him to set up shop in Cape Breton, and sent him on to Ottawa two days later.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Steve Allen. U.S. broadcaster, author, songwriter, comedian. Mr. Allen, a man of many talents, was the original host of the Tonight show on NBC from 1954-1957. He then moved into prime time on Sunday nights with a comedy and variety show on NBC that ran at the same time that Ed Sullivan's program was on CBS; The Steve Allen Show (1956-1960) drew respectable ratings. He conceived and hosted a program on PBS called Meeting of Minds (1977-1981), where actors portraying historical characters would discuss various issues. Mr. Allen wrote several thousand songs, the best-known of which is This Could Be the Start of Something. His books included The Funny Men (1956); Funny People (1981); More Funny People (1982); and Vulgarians at the Gate (2000). Mr. Allen died on October 30, 2000 at the age of 78, several hours after suffering a ruptured blood vessel caused by chest injuries received in a traffic accident.

John Severin. U.S. artist. Mr. Severin was an illustrator with Marvel Comics and E.C. Comics in a career spanning more than 60 years. He was particularly known for his work in war comics, and for his keen eye for historical detail. Mr. Severin was one of the first artists to work with Mad magazine (1952-1954), but left in a dispute with the magazine's founder, Harvey Kurtzman. Mr. Severin spent more than 40 years with Cracked, Mad's main rival, and was regarded by many as the only talented individual steadily working with Cracked. He died on February 12, 2012 at the age of 90.

90 years ago
1931

Died on this date
Melvil Dewey, 80. 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, 16 days after his 80th birthday.

80 years ago
1941

Diplomacy
Winston Churchill became the first British Prime Minister to address a joint session of the United States Congress.



Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King arrived in Washington to participate in the U.S.-U.K. military and naval conference.

War
The U.S.S.R. announced that Naro Fominsk, about 50 miles southeast of Moscow, had been recaptured together with other towns. U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila to be an open city, and ordered all troops and anti-aircraft guns to be withdrawn. The British War Office announced that Lieutenant General Sir Henry Pownall had arrived in Singapore to assume command of British forces in the Far East, replacing Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham. The British embassy in Chungking announced that a U.K.-U.S.-Chinese Military Council had been created there.

Americana
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States.

Science
Dr. Paul J. Kolachov reported that the Russian dandelion plant known as kok-sagyz could produce crude rubber and may be grown virtually in any soil.

Labour
Striking welders withdrew their picket lines at defense plants and shipyards in the San Francisco area.

75 years ago
1946

At the movies
The Man I Love, directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring Ida Lupino, Robert Alda, Andrea King, and Bruce Bennett, opened in theatres in New York City.





Died on this date
Max Warburg, 79. German banker. Mr. Warburg, scion of a Hamburg banking family, was director of M. M. Warburg & Co., was a member of the Hamburg parliament, and began advising Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1903. He served on the board of the German Reichsbank under governor Hjalmar Schach (1933-1935), but sold the bank after the Nazis passed the anti-Semitic Nuremberg Laws, and emigrated to the United States in 1938. Mr. Warburg died in New York City.

Movies
Motion Picture Herald's poll reported that the top box office attractions in the United States in 1946 were: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Van Johnson, Gary Cooper, Bob Hope, Humphrey Bogart, and Greer Garson.

Diplomacy
U.S. State Department spokesman Lincoln White affirmed that Soviet authorities in Manchuria were within their rights in ordering an American ship out of Dairen harbour on December 20.

Defense
Mohammed Nimer el Huwari, commander of the Arab underground army Najada, announced the merger of his forces with the Arab youth organization Futuwah for joint operations under the Arab Higher Committee in Palestine.

Exploration
Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl announced that he would sail 4,000 miles in a wooden raft from Peru to Tahiti in an attempt to prove that Polynesia had been settled by inhabitants of South America.

Economics and finance
Colombia became the 39th nation to join the World Bank.

The French cabinet raised telephone tolls, subway fares, and other public service charges by up to 150% in an anti-inflation move.

Business
Gangster Bugsy Siegel opened The Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Labour
Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities Ernie Adamson issued an unauthorized report claiming that 17 Congress of Industrial Organizations unions were dominated by Communists; that Communists were plotting a general strike to provoke revolution; and that the Library of Congress was a "haven for foreign-minded Americans."

70 years ago
1951

Diplomacy
The U.S. State Department announced that it would pay Hungary $120,000 in fines to secure the release of four U.S. fliers who had been captured on November 19.

Oil
Czech spokesmen in Tehran announced that Czechoslovakia would buy 500,000 tons of refined oil from Iran and "large" additional quantities of crude oil for refining in Czech plants.

Economics and finance
Retail prices in the U.S.A. hit a record 234.5% of the 1935-1939 average, 15% above the pre-Korean War level.

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 (6th week at #1)

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on NBC
Tonight's episode: A Jury of Her Peers, starring Ann Harding, Philip Bourneuf, and Frances Reid

50 years ago
1971

War
U.S. Air Force and Navy planes began several days of heavy bombing raids on military installations in North Vietnam.

Crime
An Air Canada jet en route from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Toronto was hijacked to Cuba.

Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (34-1) knocked out Jürgen Blin (27-10-6) at 2:12 of the 7th round of their bout in an unusually small ring at Hallenstadion Arena in Zurich. On the undercard, Mac Foster (28-1) knocked out Italian heavyweight champion Bepi Ros (30-8) in the 8th round.



Football
NFL
AFC Divisional Playoff
Baltimore 20 @ Cleveland 3

Don Nottingham rushed 23 times for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Jim O'Brien kicked 2 converts and 2 field goals as the defending Super Bowl champion Colts defeated the Browns at Municipal Stadium.



NFC Divisional Playoff
Washington 20 @ San Francisco 24

John Brodie completed touchdown passes of 78 yards to Gene Washington and 2 yards to Bob Windsor as the 49ers defeated the Redskins in the first NFL playoff game to be played at Candlestick Park.



40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): Cicale--Heather Parisi (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross

#1 single in Ireland: One of Us--ABBA

#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express):

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): Don't You Want Me--The Human League (3rd week at #1)

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross (2nd week at #1)
2 Annie--Miggy
3 One of Us--ABBA
4 Wünderbar--Tenpole Tudor
5 Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie
6 I Go to Sleep--Pretenders
7 They Don't Play Our Lovesong Anymore--Anita Meyer
8 Let's Start II Dance Again--Bohannon
9 Spirits in the Material World--The Police
10 It's Raining--Shakin' Stevens

Singles entering the chart were Je Loog Tegen Mij by Drukwerk (#24); I Won't Let You Down by Ph.D. (#29); Bensonhurst Blues by Oscar Benton (#31); Lobo's Gospel Show by Lobo (#34); Op Een Onbewoond Eiland by Kinderen Voor Kinderen (#35); Perhaps Love by Placido Domingo & John Denver (#36); and Cambodia by Kim Wilde (#38).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (6th week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind & Fire
4 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall & John Oates
5 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
6 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
7 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
8 Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
9 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
10 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham

Singles entering the chart were Abacab by Genesis (#71); Southern Pacific by Neil Young & Crazy Horse (#80); Through the Years by Kenny Rogers (#82); Crazy (Keep on Falling) by John Hall Band (#83); Tonight Tonight by Bill Champlin (#85); and Can't Hold Back (Your Loving) by Kano (#91).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (6th week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind and Fire
4 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall & John Oates
5 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
6 Oh No--Commodores
7 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
8 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
9 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
10 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham

Singles entering the chart were Through the Years by Kenny Rogers (#60); Abacab by Genesis (#76); Crazy (Keep on Falling) by John Hall Band (#83); Let the Feeling Flow by Peabo Bryson (#84); Pac-Man Fever by Buckner and Garcia (#87); You Can by Madleen Kane (#88); Seasons of Gold by Gidea Park featuring Adrian Baker (#89); and Tonight Tonight by Bill Champlin (#90).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Record World)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (6th week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Let's Groove--Earth, Wind & Fire
4 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall & John Oates
5 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
6 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
7 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
8 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
9 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
10 Hooked on Classics--The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Singles entering the chart were Through the Years by Kenny Rogers (#50); Pac-Man Fever by Buckner & Garcia (#79); Could it Be Love by Jennifer Warnes (#82); You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration by Teddy Pendergrass (#86); Those Good Old Dreams by the Carpenters (#89); and If You Think You're Lonely Now by Bobby Womack (#94).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Physical--Olivia Newton-John (2nd week at #1)
2 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
3 Oh No--Commodores
4 Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie
5 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
6 My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack
7 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
8 The Friends of Mr. Cairo--Jon and Vangelis
9 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
10 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash

Singles entering the chart were Flying High Again by Ozzy Osbourne (#42); The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known) by Juice Newton (#44); You Could Have Been with Me by Sheena Easton (#46); She's Got a Way by Billy Joel (#47); There's No One Quite Like Grandma by Leliah and Jeordie (#48); Take it Easy on Me by Little River Band (#49); and Letting Go by Straight Lines (#50).

Died on this date
Suat Hayri Ürgüplü, 78. Prime Minister of Turkey, 1965. Mr. Ürgüplü was a judge of the Istanbul Commercial Court (1939-1942). A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Kayseri in the Chamber of Deputies (1939-1946, 1950-1952), serving as Minister of Customs and Public Monopolies (1947-1948). Mr. Ürgüplü was Turkey's Ambassador to West Germany (1952-1955); U.K. (1955-1959); U.S.A. (1959-1960); and Spain (1960-1961). As a member of the Justice Party, he was elected to the Senate in 1961, serving as Prime Minister of a non-partisan caretaker cabinet from February-October 1965 after the collapse of the government of Prime Minister İsmet İnönü. Mr. Ürgüplü remained in the Senate until his death from heart disease.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives--Queen (2nd week at #1)

World events
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union met and formally dissolved the Soviet Union, ending the Cold War.

Business
The U.S. airline Northwest Airlines bought 20 Dash 8 Series 100 aircraft for $190 million from Toronto-based de Haviland, a division of Boeing Canada.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Breathe--The Prodigy (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Anna mulle piiskaa--Apulanta (2nd week at #1)

Died on this date
JonBenét Ramsey, 6. U.S. crime victim. Miss Ramsey, a child beauty contestant, died from strangulation and a fractured skull at her family's home in Boulder, Colorado. The crime resulted in a U.S. media obsession, and the case is still officially open.

Labour
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions called on its 1.2 million members to refuse to work, beginning the largest organized strike in South Korean history.

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Nigel Hawthorne, 72. U.K. actor. Sir Nigel had a distinguished career on stage, screen, and television spanning 50 years, winning numerous awards. He won a Tony Award for his starring performance in Shadowlands (1990), and won six Laurence Olivier Awards, four for his starring performances in the television comedy series Yes Minister (1980-1984) and Yes, Prime Minister (1986-1988). Sir Nigel won a Laurence Olivier Award for his starring performance in the play The Madness of George III (1991), and a BAFTA and two other British awards for starring in its film adaptation, The Madness of King George (1994), receiving an Academy Award nomination for the film. Sir Nigel died of a heart attack after suffering from pancreatic cancer.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Sarekoppa Bangarappa, 78. Indian politician. Mr. Bangarappa was a member of several parties in a political career spanning more than 40 years. He represented Soraba in the Karnataka Assembly (1967-1996), and was Chief Minister of Karnataka (1990-1992). Mr. Bangarappa represented Shimoga in the Lok Sabha (1999-2005, 2005-2009). He died from multiple causes after suffering from diabetes; his funeral required police intervention because of disputes between factions involving his sons Kumar and Madhu.

Houston Antwine, 72. U.S. football player. Mr. Antwine played defensive tackle at Southern Illinois University and with the Boston/New England Patriots (1961-1971) and Philadelphia Eagles (1972). He made the American Football League's First All-Star Team in 1963, and the Second Team five times (1964, 1966-1969), earning recognition on the all-time All-AFL Team.

Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., 71. Mexican-born actor. Mr. Armendáriz, the son of actor Pedro Armendáriz, Sr., appeared in movies and television programs in Mexico and the United States in a career spanning 45 years. His movies included Tombstone (1993) and Amistad (1997). Mr. Armendáriz died in New York while being treated for eye cancer, and was buried in Mexico City.

Joe Bodolai, 63. U.S.-born screenwriter and producer. Mr. Bodolai fled to Canada in the late 1960s to avoid the military draft, and spent much of his life in Canada as a comedy writer and producer; he was a frequent guest of Peter Gzowski's on his CBC radio program This Country in the Morning (1970-1974). He returned to the United States in 1981 and wrote more than 20 episodes of Saturday Night Live before returning to Canada and producing television programs such as Comics! and The Kids in the Hall. Mr. Bodolai co-founded the Canadian cable channel The Comedy Network in the mid-1990s, but returned to the U.S. after the Comedy Network's owners declined to hire him to run the network. He was unable to conquer a drinking habit, and committed suicide by drinking a mixture of Gatorade and antifreeze. Mr. Bodolai's blog Say It Ain't So, Joe! remains online; its last entry, dated December 23, 2011, reads like a suicide note.

December 24, 2021

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Hilary Hahn!

260 years ago
1761

Born on this date
Selim III, 46. Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, 1789-1807. Selim III was the son of Sultan Mustafa III and was designated as his successor, but Selim's uncle Abdul Hamid I took the throne after Mustafa III's death, and Selim had to wait 15 years. Sultan Selim III was a poet and composer, and some of his compositions still exist. He instituted military reforms, but the elite soldiers known as Janissaries eventually deposed Selim III in favour of his cousin Mustafa IV. There was a movement to restore Selim III to the throne, but before this could take place, he was assassinated on July 28, 1808 at the age of 46.

175 years ago
1846

Britannica
The United Kingdom acquired the island of Labuan from the Sultanate of Brunei; it was established as a Crown Colony in 1848.

170 years ago
1851

Disasters
Fire devastated the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroying about 35,000 volumes.

150 years ago
1871

Opera
Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida received its premiere performance, conducted by Giovanni Bottesin,i at Khedivial Opera House in Cairo, as the completion of the final stages of the Suez Canal was being celebrated.

140 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Charles Wakefield Cadman. 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 on December 30, 1946, six days after his 65th birthday.

130 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Feodor Rojankovsky. Russian-born illustrator. Mr. Rojankovsky, aka Rojan, was a White Russian who began his career in his native land, but was left stateless after the U.S.S.R. came into existence, living in France and eventually settling in the United States in 1941. He was best known for illustrating more than 100 children's books, including 35 Little Golden Books from 1943-1970. Mr. Rojankovsky won the 1956 Caldecott Medal for illustrating John Langstaff's Frog Went A-Courtin'. He died on October 12, 1970 at the age of 78.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Bill Dudley. U.S. football player. Mr. Dudley was a halfback, kicker, and punter with the University of Virginia Cavaliers (1938-1941), earning All-America honours in his senior year and recognition by both the Maxwell Club in Philadelphia and the Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C. as the nation's most outstanding college player. He played in the National Football League with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1942, 1945-1946); Detroit Lions (1947-1949); and Washington Redskins (1950-1951, 1953), earning First Team All-Pro recognition four times and Second Team All-Pro recognition twice, leading the league twice in yards rushing, and being named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1946, when he led the league in yards rushing (604); interceptions (10); interception return yards (242); and punt return yards (385). Mr. Dudley interrupted his career for service in World War II, playing for the Army (1943-1944) and being named Most Valuable Player in the service in 1944. He was the only player in NFL history to score touchdowns by rushing, receiving, punt returns, kickoff returns, interception returns, and fumble returns, and throwing a touchdown pass. Mr. Dudley worked in insurance in Lynchburg, Virginia after his playing career, and was a scout for the Steelers and Lions. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. Mr. Dudley died on February 4, 2010 at the age of 88, five days after suffering a severe stroke.

80 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Siegfried Alkan, 83. German composer. Mr. Alkan, a distant relative of Felix Mendelsson, was a pianist and music store owner who also worked in the insurance business. His compositions consisted mainly of songs. Mr. Alkan was a victim of "Kristallnacht" on November 9, 1938, when his store was vandalized, his piano and other instruments were thrown into the street, and his scores were scattered and lost.

War
Admiral Émile Muselier captured the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon off Newfoundland, which became the first part of France to be liberated by Free French Forces. Japanese forces overran the makeshift hospital at St. Stephen’s College in Hong Kong during the final days of the defense of the territory, bayoneting some patients in their beds. There were nearly 800 Canadian casualties; many captured Canadians were prisoners for the rest of World War II. Japanese forces conquered Kuching, capital of Sarawak, Borneo, and landed in force at three points on the Philippine island of Luzon: Atimonan, Mauban, and Nasugbu. British forces conquered Barce, Benina, and Benghazi, Libya.

Diplomacy
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill made brief Christmas Eve addresses at the lighting of the Christmas tree on the lawn of the White House. Mr. Roosevelt said that Americans must prepare "our hearts...for the labor and sacrifice which lie ahead."

Religion
Pope Pius XII outlined a five-point peace plan based on the "integrity and security" of all states.

Academia
Brown University and Pembroke College announced that they would admit to the next freshman class outstanding students who had completed their third year of high school.

Journalism
Brazilian police closed the Japanese newspaper Brasil Asahi and German newspapers in Sao Paulo and Santa Catharina.

Technology
Ford Motor Company announced that it was ready to begin producing about 1,000 pounds daily of synthetic fiber developed from soybeans, to be used principally in upholstery.

Economics and finance
U.S. Federal Price Administrator Leon Henderson fixed prices for leather of all types, grades, and qualities at levels which prevailed between November 6-December 6.

75 years ago
1946

War
Vietnamese nationalist leader Ho Chi Minh claimed in a Christmas message that current fighting against French forces had been precipitated by a French demand for control of the police in Hanoi.

World events
U.S. military authorities in Frankfurt announced a Christmas amnesty for more than 800,000 Germans in the Ameican zone facing prosecution under denazification laws.

Diplomacy
The World Zionist Congress ended its 16-day meeting in Basel after adopting a resolution to boycott the Palestine conference in London in January 1947.

Politics and government
The French Fourth Republic officially came into existence as the Council of the Republic, the upper legislative house, held its first session.

A committee representing the United Kingdom, native Sultans, and the United Malaya nationalist organization proposed a new constitution for an independent "Federation of Malaya."

Following the death of Georgia Governor-elect Eugene Talmadge, Governor Ellis Arnall announced that he would turn over his post to Lieutenant Governor-elect M.E. Thompson, while supporters of Mr. Talmadge lobbied to have his son Herman declared Governor by the State Assembly.

Labour
The Mexican Oil Workers union voted not to fight the dismissal of 50 union leaders from their jobs in the government-owned oil industry.

Congress of Industrial Organizations National Maritime Union President Joseph Curran resigned as co-chairman of the Committee for Maritime Unity, ending cooperation between the CIO and the American Federation of Labor in the maritime industry.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Hallmark Television Playhouse, on NBC
Tonight's broadcast: Amahl and the Night Visitors

Amahl and the Night Visitors, with music and libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti, was the first opera specifically composed for television in the United States, and received its premiere performance by the NBC Opera Theatre at NBC Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center, New York City. It was broadcast live on 35 network stations across the United States.



Lights Out, on NBC
Tonight's episode: This Way to Heaven, starring Kathleen Comegys, Beverly Dennis, Burgess Meredith, and Robert Webber

Africana
The Kingdom of Libya was proclaimed, with Idris as King.

War
The South Korean government claimed that 117,361 S.K. civilians were missing or known to have been abducted by the Communists.

Economics and finance
Brazilian President Getulio Vargas signed a decree raising minimum wages 150% to a monthly average of $45.

Labour
U.S. President Harry Truman threatened to take any measures necessary to prevent a steel industry strike and consequent damage to the national defense effort.

60 years ago
1961

Football
AFL
Championship @ Balboa Stadium, San Diego
Houston Oilers 10 @ San Diego Chargers 3

George Blanda completed a 35-yard pass to Billy Cannon in the 3rd quarter for the game's only touchdown as the Oilers beat the Chargers before 29,556 fans to win the AFL championship for the second straight season. It was a sloppy game, as the Oilers made 7 turnovers and the Chargers 6. Mr. Blanda kicked a 46-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter for the only scoring of the 1st half, and converted Mr. Cannon's touchdown. George Blair kicked a 12-yard field goal for San Diego in the 4th quarter. The winning head coach was Wally Lemm, who had replaced fired incumbent Lou Rymkus after 5 games. The Oilers were 1-3-1 when Mr. Lemm had become the team's head coach, and they had gone 9-0 in their last 10 regular season games under him.



50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey--Paul & Linda McCartney (6th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Mamy Blue--Pop Tops (8th week at #1)

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

The only single entering the chart was Tokoloshe Man by John Kongos (#17).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKLG)
1 Brand New Key--Melanie (2nd week at #1)
2 I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)--The New Seekers
3 An Old Fashioned Love Song--Three Dog Night
4 American Pie--Don McLean
5 Sunshine--Jonathan Edwards
6 Devil You--Stampeders
7 No Good to Cry--The Poppy Family
8 Hey Girl--Donny Osmond
9 Day After Day--Badfinger
10 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone

Singles entering the chart were Stay with Me by Faces (#27); Where Did Our Love Go by Donnie Elbert (#28); Without You by Nilsson (#29); and Sour Suite by the Guess Who (#30).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKVN)
1 (I Know) I'm Losing You--Rod Stewart with Faces
2 Brand New Key--Melanie
3 I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)--The New Seekers
4 Day After Day--Badfinger
5 American Pie--Don McLean
6 Sunshine--Jonathan Edwards
7 Family Affair--Sly & the Family Stone
8 Can I Get a Witness--Lee Michaels
9 Devil You--Stampeders
10 Respect Yourself--The Staple Singers

Singles entering the chart were Black Dog by Led Zeppelin (#34); Without You by Nilsson (#35); Levon by Elton John (#36); Me and Bobby McGee by Jerry Lee Lewis (#37); Joy by the Ventures (#38); Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison (#39); and Happy Xmas (War is Over) by John Lennon/Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir (#40).

Crime
U.S. President Richard Nixon commuted the prison term of former International Brotherhood of Teamsters President James Hoffa, who had served 4 years, 9 months, and 16 days of a 13-year sentence for jury tampering.

Disasters
LANSA Flight 508, a Lockheed L-188A Electra turboprop en route from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, was struck by lightning and crashed in the Puerto Inca District in the Department of Huánuco, killing 91 of 92 people aboard. It remains the deadliest lightning strike in history.

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Vancouver (CKLG): Young Turks--Rod Stewart (4th week at #1)

Edmonton's Top 20 (CHED)
1 Take Off--Bob and Doug McKenzie
2 Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
3 Don't Stop Believin'--Journey
4 Working for the Weekend--Loverboy
5 Physical--Olivia Newton-John
6 Lunatic Fringe--Red Rider
7 Trouble--Lindsey Buckingham
8 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
9 Under Pressure--Queen & David Bowie
10 Oh No--Commodores
11 Centerfold--J. Geils Band
12 Our Lips are Sealed--Go-Go's
13 Young Turks--Rod Stewart
14 For Those About to Rock--AC/DC
15 Here I Am--Air Supply
16 My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)--Chilliwack
17 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)--Daryl Hall & John Oates
18 Wind Him Up--Saga
19 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic--The Police
20 No Reply at All--Genesis

Edmonton's Top 10 (CFRN)
1 Hooked on Classics--The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2nd week at #1)
2 Waiting for a Girl Like You--Foreigner
3 Wired for Sound--Cliff Richard
4 Harden My Heart--Quarterflash
5 Yesterday's Songs--Neil Diamond
6 Why Do Fools Fall in Love--Diana Ross
7 Leather and Lace--Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
8 Comin' in and Out of Your Life--Barbra Streisand
9 The Theme from Hill Street Blues--Mike Post
10 Heart Like a Wheel--Steve Miller Band

25 years ago
1996

Disasters
A Learjet 35 en route from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Lebanon, New Hampshire crashed into Smarts Mountain near Dorchester, New Hampshire, killing both pilots on board. The wreckage wasn't found until November 13, 1999.

20 years ago
2001

World events
A truce between the new government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam went into effect.

Politics and government
Patrick Manning took office as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Johannes Heesters, 108. Dutch-born German entertainer. Mr. Heesters was an actor and singer who began his career in his native Netherlands at the age of 16, and moved to Germany in 1935. He was a popular star in German films during the Nazi era, and performed on stage for German soldiers and SS personnel in camps and barracks during World War II. Mr. Heesters easily made the transition to postwar popular culture, but his previous Nazi associations ttracted controversy in later years. He made his last stage appearance on October 31, 2011 in Munich, and died 19 days after his 108th birthday, as perhaps the oldest entertainer with the longest career in history.

December 22, 2021

1,620 years ago
401

Religion
Innocent I was elected Roman Catholic Pope, three days after the death of his father Pope Anastasius I. Innocent I remains the only man to succeed his father as Bishop of Rome.

380 years ago
1641

Died on this date
Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, 81. Chief Minister of France, 1589-1611. The Duke of Sully served in the Protestant army as a teenager during the religious wars in the 1570s. As Chief Minister, Superintendent of Finances, and adviser to King Henri IV, he built a strong centralized administrative system in France using coercion and highly effective new administrative techniques, but was unpopular, and his power was weakened after the assassination of King Henri in 1610. The Duke of Sully resigned in 1611, and died nine days after his 81st birthday.

325 years ago
1696

Born on this date
James Oglethorpe. U.K. military officer and politician. Mr. Oglethorpe was a general who fought with Holy Roman Empire forces in the Austro-Turkish War (1716-1718) before returning to England. A Tory, he represented Haslemere in the House of Commons (1722-1754). As chairman of the Gaols Committee in 1729, he recommended creating a buffer colony in British North America between the Carolinas and Florida, to be settled by those released from debtors' prisons. Mr. Oglethorpe thus founded Georgia, serving as its first Governor (1732-1743). He returned to England after an unsuccessful siege of St. Augustine, Florida, was unsuccessful in leading British troops in the Jacobite rising of 1745, and served undercover in the Prussian Army during the Seven Years' War. Mr. Oglethorpe died on June 30, 1785 at the age of 88.

170 years ago
1851

Transportation
India's first freight train was operated in Roorkee to transport material for the construction of the Ganges Canal.

130 years ago
1891

Died on this date
Paul de Lagarde, 64. German orientalist. Professor Lagarde, born Paul Bötticher, taught oriental languages at the University of Göttingen. He was the most renowned scholar of the Septuagint in the 19th century, but he rejected the Bible as the Word of God, and opposed Christianity and Jews, advocating a German folkish religion, racial Darwinism, and German imperialism within Europe. Prof. Lagarde's ideas influenced Nazi ideology, especially that of theorist Alfred Rosenberg.

Space
Asteroid 323 Brucia became the first asteroid to be discovered using photography.

120 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Andre Kostelanetz. Russian-born orchestra conductor. Mr. Kostelanetz moved to the United States in 1922, and began conducting orchestras on radio. He had his own program, Andre Kostelanetz Presents, in the 1930s, but was best known for the many albums of "easy listening" music that he conducted from the 1940s until his death on January 13, 1980, 22 days after his 78th birthday, which resulted from pneumonia contracted while on vacation in Haiti, 13 days after conducting a New Year's Eve concert in San Francisco.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Hawkshaw Hawkins. U.S. musician. Harold Franklin Hawkins was a country singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was popular in the late '40s and early '50s, recording such hits as Pan American (1948); Dog House Boogie (1948); Slow Poke (1951); and Lonesome 7-7203 (1963), which reached #1 on the Billboard country chart several weeks after his death on March 5, 1963 at the age of 41 in a plane crash that also took the lives of fellow artists Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas.

Dimitri Fampas. Greek musician and composer. Mr. Fampas was a classical guitarist who had a national and international performing and recording career spanning more than 35 years. He taught at the National Conservatory of Athens, with his students winning several dozen international awards. Mr. Fampas created two guitar orchestras, and composed more than 200 guitar works. He died on May 3, 1996 at the age of 74.

Academia
Visva-Bharati College, now Visva Bharati University, opened in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India.

90 years ago
1931

Television
The first experimental broadcast from a transmitter atop the Empire State Building in New York City took place. The transmitter was put up by NBC on October 30, 1931.

80 years ago
1941

Died on this date
Karel Hašler, 62. Czech entertainer. Mr. Hašler was an actor, director, singer, and songwriter who acted in plays and operated various cabarets in a career that began in the late 1890s. He appeared in silent and sound films from 1914-1941. Mr. Hašler's patriotic songs led to his arrest by the Gestapo in September 1941; he was taken to Malthausen concentration camp in Germany, where he was tortured to death.

War
Japanese troops captured Wake Island--2,000 miles west of Honolulu--after two weeks of attacks; the island had been garrisoned by fewer than 400 U.S. Marines. 80,000-100,000 Japanese troops attempted to land around Lingayen on the Philippine island of Luzon at dawn under strong naval air escort. Marshal Klementy Voroshilov was named commander of Soviet troops in the Far East. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the amended Selective Service bill under which men aged 20-44 would be subject to military service. The U.S. War Department reported that 273 fifth columnists had been arrested among the 35,000 Japanese aliens in Hawaii.

Diplomacy
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in Washington with an 86-man delegation to discuss with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt all questions relevant to the concerted war effort.

Labour
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-0 that an employer had the right to express his views on labour unions so long as he did not attempt to coerce his employees.

U.S. troops were withdrawn from strike duty in San Francisco. About 495 of 3,000 welders on the day shift continued picketing.

75 years ago
1946

Movies
Humphrey Bogart signed a record 15-year contract with Warner Brothers.

Defense
The U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics revealed the development of "Tiamat," an experimental winged rocket missile with a speed of 600 miles per hour.

Politics and government
The Polish government reported that the Peasant Party had been allowed to file candidates for the forthcoming elections in all 52 electoral districts.

British Viceroy of India Sir Archibald Wavell returned to New Delhi from conferences in London.

Economics and finance
U.K. and U.S.S.R. officials in Germany signed a three-month agreement by which the Soviet zone would furnish grain, forage, fuel, and wood pulp to the British zone in return for iron, steel, and tires.

Football
AAFC
Championship @ Cleveland Stadium
New York 9 @ Cleveland 14

Otto Graham's 16-yard touchdown pass to Dante Lavelli, converted by Lou Groza, with 4:13 remaining in regulation time, gave the Browns their victory over the Yankees before 40,469 fans on a snowy day to end the first season of the All-America Football Conference. Marion Motley rushed 1 yard for the other Cleveland touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Harvey Johnson's 11-yard field goal gave New York a 3-0 lead in the 1st quarter. Spec Sanders rushed 2 yards for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter to give the Yankees a 9-7 lead, but Mr. Johnson missed the convert--his only such miss of the season.

70 years ago
1951

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Sweet Violets--Dinah Shore; Jane Turzy

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): It's No Sin--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra (Best Seller--2nd week at #1; Disc Jockey--6th week at #1); Cold, Cold Heart--Tony Bennett (Jukebox--3rd week at #1);

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 (It's No) Sin--The Four Aces (7th week at #1)
--Eddy Howard
2 Down Yonder--Del Wood
--Joe "Fingers" Carr
--Champ Butler
3 Cold, Cold Heart--Tony Bennett
4 Undecided--The Ames Brothers and Les Brown and his Band of Renown
5 Because of You--Tony Bennett
--Les Baxter and his Orchestra
6 Jealousy (Jalousie)--Frankie Laine
7 Slow Poke--Pee Wee King and his Golden West Cowboys
8 Charmaine--Mantovani and his Orchestra
9 Shrimp Boats--Jo Stafford
10 Cry--Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads

Singles entering the chart were Any Time by Eddie Fisher (#20) and If Wishes were Kisses by Perry Como (#32).

Died on this date
Henry G. Bennett, 65. U.S. academic. Dr. Bennett was president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University (1919-1928) and Oklahoma A&M College (1928-1951). While still holding the latter office, he was appointed by U.S. President Harry Truman in November 1950 as the first director of the Point Four Program, a technical assistance program for backward nations. While on a visit to Iran to discuss U.S. technical aid with Iranian officials, Dr. Bennett was killed, eight days after his 65th birthday, along with his wife and 20 members of his staff, in a plane crash near Tehran.

War
U.S. negotiators at Panmunjom told the Communists that 37,000 South Koreans found among Communist prisoners of war would not be returned to North Korea in a prisoner exchange.

Politics and government
The Greek Parliament approved a constitutional amendment permitting suspension of the rights of assembly and association by the King with parliamentary approval.

Oil
Following British rejection of the 10-day limit for ordering Iranian oil, Iran concluded an oil supply agreement with Czechoslovakia.

Labour
U.S. President Truman referred the steel industry dispute to the Wage Stabilization Board, urging the United Steel Workers of America not to disrupt production.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Tower of Strength--Frankie Vaughan (4th week at #1)

On television tonight
The Twilight Zone, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Five Characters in Search of an Exit, starring William Windom, Murray Matheson, Susan Harrison, Kelton Garwood, and Clark Allen

Died on this date
Dick Elliott, 75. U.S. actor. Mr. Elliott was a character actor who appeared in more than 240 films, often as blustery characters, in a career spanning almost 30 years. He played Mayor Pike in 11 episodes of the first season of The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1961). Mr. Elliott died of cardiovacular disease on December 22, 1961.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K. (New Musical Express): Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)--Benny Hill (4th week at #1)

At the movies
Eagle in a Cage, directed by Fielder Cook, and starring Kenneth Haigh, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, and Billie Whitelaw, opened in theatres in Los Angeles.



Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Elena!

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Black or White--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Black or White--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Let's Talk About Sex!--Salt-N-Pepa (6th week at #1)
2 Black or White--Michael Jackson
3 Do the Limbo Dance--David Hasselhoff
4 Any Dream Will Do--Jason Donovan
5 Always Look on the Bright Side of Life--Monty Python
6 (Everything I Do) I Do it for You--Bryan Adams
7 Jambo--Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung
8 Love to Hate You--Erasure
9 Something Got Me Started--Simply Red
10 I'm Too Sexy--Right Said Fred

Singles entering the chart were Bitterblue by Bonnie Tyler (#22); Way of the World by Tina Turner (#27); and You by Ten Sharp (#29).

World events
Armed opposition groups launched a military coup against Georgian President Zviad Gamsakhurdia.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Thug Devotion--Mo Thugs

#1 single in Austria (Ö3): Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)--Backstreet Boys (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Verpiss' dich--Tic Tac Toe (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Scotland (OCC): 2 Become 1--Spice Girls

Disasters
Airborne Express Flight 827, a functional evaluation flight of an Airborne Express Douglas DC-8-63F that had undergone a major modification, en route from Greensboro, North Carolina, over New River Valley Airport in Pulaski County, Virginia, then to Beckley, West Virginia, followed by other way points in Kentucky and Virginia, and then back to Greensboro, stalled and crashed near Narrows, Virginia, killing all 6 people--3 crew and 3 passengers--aboard.

Hockey
NHL
Los Angeles (12-19-4) 4 @ St. Louis (16-19-1) 7

Brett Hull became the 24th player in National Hockey League history to score 500 career goals when he notched a hat trick for the Blues in their victory over the Kings at Kiel Center. He joined his father Bobby as the only father-son combination to score 500 goals apiece.



20 years ago
2001

Politics and government
Burhanuddin Rabbani, political leader of the Northern Alliance, handed over power in Islamic State of Afghanistan to the interim government headed by President Hamid Karzai.

Terrorism
American Airlines Flight 63, a Boeing 767-300ER en route from Paris to Miami with 197 passengers and crew aboard, made an emergency landing in Boston after passengers subdued passenger Richard Reid, who was attempting to ignite the soles of his shoes, which were filled with explosives.

10 years ago
2011

Economics and finance
The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled against the federal government's attempt to establish a national securities regulator, holding that the federal government couldn't usurp the jurisdiction of provinces in the day-to-day aspect of professional licensing and policing.

December 21, 2021

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Maria de los Milagros!

660 years ago
1361

War
The Battle of Linuesa was fought in the context of the Spanish Reconquista between the forces of the Emirate of Granada and the combined army of the Kingdom of Castile and of Jaén, resulting in a Castilian victory.

170 years ago
1851

Born on this date
Thomas Chipman McRae. U.S. politician. Mr. McRae, a Democrat, was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives (1877-1879), and represented Arkansas' 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives (1885-1903). He was Governor of Arkansas (1921-1925), and was briefly special Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court (1925). Mr. McRae practiced law when he wasn't engaging in political activities, and died on June 2, 1929 at the age of 77.

160 years ago
1861

Defense
Public Resolution 82, containing a provision for a U.S. Navy Medal of Valor, was signed into law by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

130 years ago
1891

Born on this date
John W. McCormack. U.S. politician. Mr. McCormack, a Democrat, represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives from 1928-1971. He was majority leader from 1939-1947, 1951-1953, and 1955-1961, minority leader from 1947-1949 and 1953-1955, and Speaker of the House from 1962-1971. Mr. McCormack opposed Communism and supported farm bills. He died on November 22, 1980 at the age of 88.

Politics and government
Charles Boucher de Boucherville, a Conservative, was sworn in as Premier of Québec for the second time, five days after Honoré Mercie had been removed from office by Lieutenant Governor Auguste-Réal Angers on corruption charges. Mr. Boucherville had previously been Premier from 1874-1878.

Basketball
The first game of basketball was played at International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (today known as Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. A soccer ball was used, and peach baskets (with the bottoms intact) were nailed onto a 10-foot elevated track.

125 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Leroy Robertson. U.S. composer. Dr. Robertson taught at Brigham Young University (1925-1948) and the University of Utah (1948-1962). He wrote piano, organ, and string works, as well as Mormon hymns, and was best known for Oratorio from the Book of Mormon (1953). Mr. Robertson died on July 25, 1971 at the age of 74.

110 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Josh Gibson. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Gibson was a catcher in the Negro Leagues with the Homestead Grays (1930-1931, 1937-1939, 1942-1946) and Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-1936), as well as the Dragones de Ciudad Trujillo (1937) in the Dominican League, and Azules de Veracruz (1940-1941) in the Mexican League. He has been credited with approximately 800 career home runs, although Negro League statistics are difficult to quantify. Whatever his official statistics, Mr. Gibson was one of the best power hitters--if not the best--in baseball history. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1943, and died of a stroke on January 20, 1947, 31 days after his 35th birthday. Baseball lore has it that Mr. Gibson died of a broken heart because he was passed over in favour of Jackie Robinson when the major leagues finally decided to abandon the prohibition on signing Negro players. Mr. Gibson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972; he and Buck Leonard were the second and third Negro League players so honoured, one year after the induction of pitcher Satchel Paige.

Politics and government
U.S. President William Howard Taft delivered the final part of his four-part annual State of the Union message to Congress. Part IV dealt with the financial condition of the treasury, needed banking and currency reform, and departmental questions.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
William Reid. U.K. military aviator. Flight Lieutenant Reid, a native of Scotland, was a flying instructor and bomber pilot in World War II who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on the night of November 3, 1943, when he completed a bombing run to Düsseldorf and returned to Syerston, Nottinghamshire despite heavy loss of blood from serious wounds, the death of his navigator, and serious wounds to his wireless engineer from attacks by Luftwaffe planes. After recovering from his wounds, Fl. Lt. Reid returned to action, but was taken prisoner in 1944 after bailing out over France when his plane was accidentally hit by a bomb dropped from above. He was demobilized in 1946, and worked as an agricultural adviser until his retirement in 1981. Fl. Lt. Reid died on November 28, 2001, 23 days before his 80th birthday.

90 years ago
1931

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Juliette Richard!

80 years ago
1941

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, on NBC
Tonight's episode: Donald's Death

Died on this date
David Howard, 45. U.S. film director. Mr. Howard directed 46 movies, mainly low-budget Westerns, from 1930 until his death.

Movies
The U.S. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures chose Citizen Kane as the best Hollywood picture of 1941.

War
Thai Prime Minister Luang Bipul Songgram and Japanese Ambassador Teiji Tsubogami signed a 10-year military alliance pledging each country not to make a separate peace. The treaty was signed in the presence of the Emerald Buddha in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand. The U.S. War Department reported that U.S. planes had bombed the Philippine islands of Luzon, Cebu, and Mindanao in the past 24 hours. U.S. Navy Secretary Frank Knox claimed that U.S. Navy ships "have to the present time probably sunk or damaged at least 14 enemy submarines" in the Atlantic Ocean.

Education
The American Council of Education recommended that the high school and college education of talented students be sped up to permit them to graduate from college at age 20 in order to meet the new military draft requirements.

Health
Reports from Stockholm stated that an epidemic of typhus had broken out in Lithuania and other German-occupied territory in eastern Europe.

Football
NFL
Championship @ Wrigley Field, Chicago
New York Giants 9 @ Chicago Bears 37

The game was played just two weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and only 13,341 fans showed up to see the Bears defeat the Giants to win their second straight NFL title. Field goals of 14, 39, and 37 yards by Chicago's Bob Snyder offset an unconverted New York touchdown on a 31-yard pass from Tuffy Leemans to George Franck, and the Bears led 9-6 at halftime. The Giants tied the game in the 3rd quarter on a 16-yard field goal by Ward Cuff, but the Bears put the game away with touchdown rushes of 2 and 7 yards by Norm Standlee--the first converted by Mr. Snyder, the second by Joe Maniaci--to lead 23-9 after 3 quarters. In the 4th quarter, George McAfee rushed 5 yards for a touchdown, and Lee Artoe's convert made the score 30-9. The final touchdown came on a 42-yard fumble return by Ken Kavanaugh. Ray "Scooter" McLean drop-kicked the convert for the game's final point. Mr. McLean's convert was the last successful drop kick in the NFL until a point after touchdown by Doug Flutie of the New England Patriots in January 2006.



75 years ago
1946

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Ole Buttermilk Sky--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Michael Douglas and the Campus Kids) (Best Seller--2nd week at #1); Rumors are Flying--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra with Marjorie Hughes (Airplay--9th week at #1); The Old Lamp-Lighter by Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye (Vocal refrain by Billy Williams and Choir) (Juke Box--1st week at #1; Honor Roll of Hits--1st week at #1)

On the radio
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce, on ABC
Tonight's episode: The Grand Old Man

Died on this date
Eugene Talmadge, 62. U.S. politician. Mr. Talmadge, a Democrat, was Governor of Georgia from 1933-1937 and 1941-1943; he was elected to a fourth term in November 1946, but died of hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver, caused by heavy drinking, before the January 1947 inauguration. Mr. Talmadge was known for his opposition to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal economic policies, and for civil rights for Negroes; his third term included the dismissal of University of Georgia Dean Walter Cocking and others at the university who supported bringing white and Negro students together in the classroom. Mr. Talmadge was succeeded after his death by his son Herman, who served for just two months before yielding to a court ruling in favour of Melvin Thompson, who had been elected Lieutenant Governor in November 1946.

Diplomacy
In accordance with the December 9 United Nations decision on Spain, the United Kingdom recalled her Amabassador to Spain, Sir Victor Mallet.

The Arab Higher Executive Committee announced that Palestinian Arabs would refuse to pay taxes if the money was used to support Jewish immigration.

Politics and government
The Bavarian State Assembly elected Christian Social Unionist Hans Ehard as Minister President of Bavaria.

Law
The U.S. War Department Advisory Committee on Military Justice issued a report detailing seven basic defects in the Army court martial system, including domination of courts by commanders, and excessive sentences. Among the changes recommended was inclusion of enlisted men on courts martial.

Economics and finance
The government of Quebec reorganized the province's Dairy Industry Commission, following the resignation of its president, Jules Côté. The commission, created in 1934, was used to set the price of milk in the cities.

Labour
Mexican President Miguel Aleman supported the state oil agency in dismissing 50 leaders of the national oil workers' union for a December 19 strike.

Disasters
An 8.1 Mw earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Nankaidō, Japan killed over 1,300 people and destroyed over 38,000 homes.

70 years ago
1951

Died on this date
Elma Wischmeier, 52. U.S. accident victim. Miss Wischmeier was struck in Cleveland by a tractor-trailer, becoming the U.S.A.'s one millionth automobile fatality.

War
British authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the Suez Canal trouble centre of Ismalia.

Defense
The U.S.A., U.K., France, Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, New Zealand, China, Brazil, and South Africa repudiated World War II peace treaty limitations on the size and type of Italian armed forces.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly's Political and Security Committee rejected a Soviet-sponsored resolution asking the United States to revoke its Mutual Security Act for allegedly providing aid to anti-Communist movements in Eastern Europe.

Politics and government
U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican--Wisconsin) demanded that all federal employees in "sensitive" positions, as well as applicants for federal employment, be requied to take lie detector tests to determine their loyalty.

Education
The New York State Board of Regents voted to establish a three-man commission to check for subversive material in public school textbooks.

Economics and finance
Michigan appealed for federal aid to help ease unemployment, particularly in the Detroit area.

Disasters
119 miners were killed in an explosion in the New Orient No. 2 mine in West Frankfort, Illinois, one of the world's largest coal mines.

Football
NFL
A United Press panel selected Cleveland Browns' quarterback Otto Graham as the National Football League's best player for 1951. He completed 147 of 265 passes for 2,205 yards with 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in leading the Browns to an 11-1 record and their second straight American Conference title.

60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade): Moon River--Jerry Butler

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Tower of Strength--Frankie Vaughan (3rd week at #1)

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

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Kvällstoppen): Mamy Blue--Pop-Tops (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade): Akropolis adieu--Mireille Mathieu

Died on this date
Charlie Fuqua, 61. U.S. singer. Mr. Fuqua was a founding member of the singing group the Ink Spots in 1934. In 1952, he left the group and formed the first of several spinoff groups performing and recording under the Ink Spots name. As a member of the original group, he was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.

Diplomacy
The United Nations Security Council chose Kurt Waldheim to succeed U Thant as UN Secretary-General.

Transportation
New Zealand Railways (NZR) launched the twice-daily Kingston Flyer, a new tourist-oriented steam passenger venture in the South Island.

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Down Under--Men at Work

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Sailor Fuku to Kikanjū--Hiroko Yakushimaru

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Ma Quale Idea--Pino D'Angio (13th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Polonäse Blankenese--Gottlieb Wendehals (a.k.a. Werner Böhm) (3rd week at #1)

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Australian Music Report): Black or White--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (FIMI): Black or White--Michael Jackson (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Black or White--Michael Jackson (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Denmark (Nielsen Music Control & IFPI): Black or White--Michael Jackson (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): Black or White--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Qui a le droit...--Patrick Bruel (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (CIN): Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives--Queen

Netherlands Top 10 (De Nederlandse Top 40)
1 Kon Ik Maar Even Bij Je Zijn--Gordon (4th week at #1)
2 I Love Your Smile--Shanice
3 Black or White--Michael Jackson
4 Smells Like Teen Spirit--Nirvana
5 Roodkapje--Pater Moeskroen
6 Go--Moby
7 The Show Must Go On--Queen
8 Mysterious Ways--U2
9 Over and Over Again--Robby Valentine
10 Let's Talk About Sex!--Salt-N-Pepa

Singles entering the chart were When a Man Loves a Woman by Michael Bolton (#28); Keepin' the Faith by De La Soul (#30); The Unforgiven by Metallica (#34); and 2 Legit 2 Quit by Hammer (#39).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson (3rd week at #1)
2 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
3 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
4 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn
5 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton
6 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
7 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul
8 Finally--CeCe Peniston
9 2 Legit 2 Quit--MC Hammer
10 Wildside--Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch

Singles entering the chart were I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred (#67); To Be with You by Mr. Big (#82); I'll Get By by Eddie Money (#85); Every Road Leads Back to You by Bette Midler (#86); There Will Never be Another Tonight by Bryan Adams (#87); Give it Away by Red Hot Chili Peppers (#93); and Live and Let Die by Guns N' Roses (#95).

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men (2nd week at #1)
2 Black or White--Michael Jackson
3 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
4 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
5 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn
6 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
7 No Son of Mine--Genesis
8 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul
9 Street of Dreams--Nia Peeples
10 Broken Arrow--Rod Stewart

Singles entering the chart were There Will Never be Another Tonight by Bryan Adams (#64); Live and Let Die by Guns N' Roses (#77); I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred (#78); Keep it Comin' by Keith Sweat (#79); I Wanna Be Your Girl by Icy Blu (#86); She Ain't Pretty by the Northern Pikes (#87); Stars by Simply Red (#88); and Move Any Mountain (Progen 91) by Shamen (#89).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 No Son of Mine--Genesis (2nd week at #1)
2 Black or White--Michael Jackson
3 Broken Arrow--Rod Stewart
4 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton
5 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
6 Life is a Highway--Tom Cochrane
7 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul
8 That's What Love is For--Amy Grant
9 Mysterious Ways--U2
10 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn

Singles entering the chart were Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by George Michael/Elton John (#49); Daniel by Wilson Phillips (#87); Diamonds & Pearls by the Police (#89); Dreams to Dream by Linda Ronstadt (#90); Celebrate by Infidels (#91); and Caribbean Blue by Enya (#94). Dreams to Dream was from the movie An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).

World events
The Commonwealth of Independent States was formed, consisting of Russia; Belarus; Ukraine; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgystan; Moldova; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; and Uzbekistan. The parliament of Azerbaijan didn't ratify the treaty creating the CIS until 1993.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (ARIA): Wannabe--Spice Girls (8th week at #1)

#1 single in Italy (Hit Parade Italia): One & One--Robert Miles featuring Maria Nayler (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (VRT): One & One--Robert Miles featuring Maria Nayler (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Wallonia (Ultratop 40): Aïcha--Khaled (8th week at #1)

#1 single in France (SNEP): Freed from Desire--Gala (9th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Gabbertje--Hakkûhbar (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (BMRB): A Different Beat--Boyzone

U.S.A. Top 10 (Billboard)
1 Un-Break My Heart--Toni Braxton (3rd week at #1)
2 I Believe I Can Fly--R. Kelly
3 No Diggity--BLACKstreet (featuring Dr. Dre)
4 Don't Let Go (Love)--En Vogue
5 Nobody--Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage
6 Mouth--Merril Bainbridge
7 It's All Coming Back to Me Now--Celine Dion
8 I Finally Found Someone--Barbra Streisand/Bryan Adams
9 Pony--Ginuwine
10 I'm Still in Love with You--New Edition

Singles entering the chart were Fly Like an Eagle by Seal (#17); Space Jam by Quad City DJ's (#67); Desperately Wanting by Better than Ezra (#70); Macarena Christmas by Los Del Rio (#83); I Can Make it Better by Luther Vandross (#90); and Naked Eye by Luscious Jackson (#96). Fly Like an Eagle and Space Jam were from the movie Space Jam (1996).

Scandal
After two years of denials, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich (Republican--Georgia) admitted violating House ethics rules.

20 years ago
2001

Politics and government
Ramon Puerta was installed as acting President of Argentina, the day after the resignation of Fernando de la Rua.

Diplomacy
India recalled its ambassador to Pakistan and cut off transportation ties to Pakistan, eight days after a five-man terrorist attack on India's Parliament House in New Delhi had left 12 people dead.

Transportation
The world's fastest roller coaster, the Dodonpa, with speeds up to 100 miles per hour, opened in Japan.