December 23, 2021

250 years ago
1771

Died on this date
Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, 70. Canadian nun. Mrs. d'Youville, a native of Varennes, Quebec, was a widow who suffered the death of her husband and four of her six children before the age of 30, but experienced a religious revival, and in 1737 with three other women founded an association that ministered to the poor in Montreal. The association became the Roman Catholic order The Sisters of Charity of Montreal--popularly known as the Grey Nuns--in 1744, and was granted an order in 1747 to operate Montreal General Hospital. Mrs. d'Youville died in Montreal, and was canonized in 1990 by Pope John Paul II.

125 years ago
1896

Born on this date
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Italian nobleman and author. Don Giuseppe Tomasi, the last Prince of Lampedusa, served with the Italian Army in World War I, and was an Austro-Hungarian prisoner of war; he inherited his title upon the death of his father in 1934. Don Giuseppe Tomasi died of lung cancer on July 23, 1957 at the age of 60, but didn't become widely known until the posthumous publication of his novel Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) (1958), which was made into a movie in 1963.

110 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Niels Kaj Jerne. U.K.-born Danish immunologist. Dr. Jerne, whose Danish parents moved to London the year before his birth, moved to the Netherlands with his family in 1914, and eventually settled in Denmark. He shared the 1984 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Georges J.F. Köhler and César Milstein "for theories concerning the specificity in development and control of the immune system and the discovery of the principle for production of monoclonal antibodies." Dr. Jerne died on October 7, 1994 at the age of 82.

James Gregory. U.S. actor. Mr. Gregory was a character actor on stage, screen, and television in a career spanning more than 45 years. He was known for his gravelly voice and playing detectives, and starred as New York Police Detective Barney Ruditsky in the television series The Lawless Years (1959-1961), and Inspector Frank Luger in the comedy series Barney Miller (1975-1982). Mr. Gregory's best-known movie role was probably as the Joe McCarthy-like Senator Johnny Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He died on September 16, 2002 at the age of 90.

90 years ago
1931

Died on this date
Wilson Bentley, 66. U.S. meteorologist and photographer. "Snowflake" Bentley, a lifelong resident of Jericho, Vermont, was the first known person to take detailed photographs of snowflakes and record their features, catching flakes on black velvet in such a way that their images could be captured before they either melted or sublimated. He took the first of more than 5,000 photos of snowflakes in 1885. Mr. Bentley died of pneumonia.

80 years ago
1941

War
At a joint press conference in Washington with U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that their meetings were being devoted to the immediate question of achieving complete unanimity of action in the Pacific. The first meeting of the U.S.-U.K. War Council was held in the White House. The U.S. oil tanker SS Montebello was sunk by Japanese submarine I-21 off the coast of California; 33 survivors were rescued. After 15 days of fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army occupied Wake Island. Japanese planes carried out a heavy raid on Rangoon. The Battle of Lingayen continued "with increasing intensity" on Luzon. The British command announced that Imperial forces in Libya reached the coastal plain of the Gulf of Sidra south of Bengazi the previous day.

Politics and government
Chinese Prime Minister Chiang Kai-shek appointed T.V. Soong as Foreign Minister.

Crime
A U.S. federal grand jury in Washington indicted aviatrix Laura Ingalls on a charge of failing to register as a German agent.

Religion
Pope Pius XII authorized Roman Catholic bishops throughout the world to permit Catholics in their dioceses to eat meat on Fridays and omit certain fast days for the duration of World War II.

Labour
U.S. President Roosevelt accepted a three-point war labour peace plan agreed upon by the 24-man labour-industry conference board in Washington. The plan called for "no strikes or lockouts;" settlement of all disputes "by peaceful means;" and establishment of "a proper War Labor Board to handle these disputes."

70 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Ole Buttermilk Sky--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (vocal chorus by Michael Douglas and the Campus Kids) (2nd week at #1)
--Hoagy Carmichael
--Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers
--Paul Weston and his Orchestra with Matt Dennis
2 Rumors are Flying--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--The Andrews Sisters with Les Paul
--Betty Rhodes
--Tony Martin
3 The Old Lamp-Lighter--Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye (Vocal refrain by Billy Williams and Choir)
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hal Derwin
4 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons--King Cole Trio
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
5 The Whole World is Singing My Song--Les Brown and his Orchestra
6 This is Always--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
7 The Things We Did Last Summer--Frank Sinatra
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
8 Five Minutes More--Frank Sinatra
--Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--The Three Suns
9 Huggin' and Chalkin'--Hoagy Carmichael
--Johnny Mercer
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
10 To Each His Own--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra with Eddy Howard and Trio
--The Ink Spots
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with Stuart Wade
--Tony Martin
--The Modernaires with Paula Kelly

Singles entering the chart were Years and Years Ago by Les Brown and his Orchestra (#26) and Hoodle-Addle by the Ray McKinley Quartet (#28).

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

Diplomacy
The United Kingdom rejected a Soviet request for a "further exchange of views" on control of the Dardanelles.

Defense
U.S. President Harry Truman set up a three-man board to review the cases of draft violators and make recommendations for executive clemency.

Politics and government
French Prime Minister Leon Blum reiterated France's recognition of Vietnam's independence within the French Union, but insisted that order be restored before negotiations could begin on the composition of the Vietnamese government.

Crime
Three men were indicted in Atlanta for arson in the December 7, 1946 fire at the Winecoff Hotel, in which 119 people perished.

Law
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a suit on the constitutionality of Tennessee's poll tax on the grounds that Congress had jurisdiction in such matters.

Religion
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered new trials for two Jehovah's Witnesses sentenced to five years in prison as conscientious objectors, stating that they were not allowed to challenge draft classifications which barred their deferment as ministers.

Health
The U.S. Office of Temporary Controls dropped distribution control of penicillin.

Agriculture
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization reported that a food crisis still confronted the world, with food production still below pre-World War II levels.

Economics and finance
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that collection of federal social security taxes from bankrupt companies had priority over state taxes.

General Lucius Clay, deputy U.S. military governor in Germany, protested a French decision to set up a customs barrier between the Saar and the rest of Germany.

The U.K. announced that it would send a Treasury delegation to India to negotiate the settlement of India's wartime debt of $5.2 billion.

Sport
An Associated Press poll of sportswriters named Babe Didrikson Zaharias as the outstanding female athlete of 1946 in the United States.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Out There, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Man, starring Florence Anglin, Philip Bourneuf, and Stewart Bradley

World events
A Hungarian military court imposed fines totalling $120,000 on four U.S. fliers shot down in November in a C-47 transport plane.

Bolivia exiled 15 right-wing extremists arrested for participating in a recent revolutionary plot.

Labour
Hungary denied a British Broadcasting Corporation report that 80 Hungarian coal miners had been shot for organizing a work slowdown in the Tatabanya mines.

Football
NFL
Championship
Cleveland 17 @ Los Angeles 24

Just 25 seconds after Ken Carpenter's 5-yard touchdown rush, converted by Lou Groza, had brought the Browns into a 17-17 tie midway through the 4th quarter, Rams' quarterback Norm Van Brocklin completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to Tom Fears, converted by Bob Waterfield, to provide the winning margin before 59,475 fans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. After a scoreless 1st quarter, Dick Hoerner of the Rams opened the scoring in the 2nd quarter with a 1-yard touchdown rush, converted by Mr. Waterfield. Mr. Groza got Cleveland on the scoreboard with a 52-yard field goal, a record length for an NFL championship game. The Browns took a 10-7 halftime lead on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Otto Graham to Dub Jones, converted by Mr. Groza. In the 3rd quarter, Mr. Graham fumbled when hit by the Rams' Larry Brink, and Andy Robustelli returned the ball from the Cleveland 24-yard line to the 2. Three plays later, Dan Towler rushed 1 yard for a touchdown, and Mr. Waterfield's convert gave Los Angeles a 14-10 lead going into the 4th quarter. The lead became 17-10 when Mr. Waterfield kicked a 17-yard field goal. It was the first NFL championship game to be televised from coast-to-coast in the United States. It was broadcast on the DuMont network (which had paid $95,000 to the NFL for the rights), with Harry Wismer and Earl Gillespie as the announcers.



60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Boomerang Won't Come Back--Charlie Drake (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: La ballata della tromba--Nini Rosso

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Weiße Rosen aus Athen--Nana Mouskouri (10th week at #1)

#1 single in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40): I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door--Eddie Hodges (2nd week at #1)

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

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens (3rd week at #1)
2 Please Mr. Postman--The Marvelettes
3 Walk on By--Leroy Van Dyke
4 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
5 The Twist--Chubby Checker
6 Goodbye Cruel World--James Darren
7 Can't Help Falling in Love--Elvis Presley
8 Peppermint Twist - Part I--Joey Dee & the Starliters
9 Moon River--Jerry Butler
--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus
10 Let There Be Drums--Sandy Nelson

Singles entering the chart were Irresistible You (#76)/Multiplication (#80) by Bobby Darin; Pocketful of Miracles by Frank Sinatra (#92); Do-Re-Mi by Lee Dorsey (#93); and But on the Other Hand Baby by Ray Charles and his Orchestra (#100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 Norman--Sue Thompson
2 The Wanderer--Dion
3 The Twist--Chubby Checker
4 Walkin' with My Angel--Bobby Vee
5 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
6 Hey! Little Girl--Del Shannon
7 Jingle Bell Rock--Bobby Helms
--Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker
8 Peppermint Twist--Joey Dee & the Starliters
--Danny Peppermint and the Jumping Jacks
9 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens
10 Walkin' Back to Happiness--Helen Shapiro

Singles entering the chart were Dear Ivan by Jimmy Dean (#16); Percolator (Twist) by Billy Joe & the Checkmates (#32); Well I'm Your Man by Johnny Tillotson (#40); Lucky Star by Gene Vincent (#44); and What are You Doing New Year's Eve by Dante and the Evergreens (#50). Well I'm Your Man was the B-side of Dreamy Eyes, charting at #27.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 The Twist--Chubby Checker (2nd week at #1)
2 The Wanderer/The Majestic--Dion
3 Peppermint Twist--Joey Dee & the Starliters
4 Walkin' with My Angel/Run to Him--Bobby Vee
5 Six White Boomers--Rolf Harris
6 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens
7 Norman--Sue Thompson
8 Jingle Bell Rock--Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker
--Bobby Helms
9 Gypsy Rover--The Highwaymen
10 Multiplication--Bobby Darin

Singles entering the chart were Memories of Maria by Jerry Byrd and his Guitar (#19); Dear Ivan by Jimmy Dean (#26); Walkin' Back to Happiness by Helen Shapiro (#28); Percolator (Twist) by Billy Joe & the Checkmates (#30); Let Me Down Easy by the Glaser Brothers (#33); Just a Little Bit Sweet by Charlie Rich (#38); Milk and Honey by Eddie Fisher (#39); and Love is the Sweetest Thing by Saverio Saridis (#40).

Died on this date
Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, 86. U.S. authoress. Miss Bailey wrote short stories and novels for children in a career spanning more than 40 years. Her novel Miss Hickory (1946) was awarded the 1947 Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature.

Kurt Meyer, 51. German SS officer. SS-Brigadeführer Meyer joined the Nazi Party in September 1930, and joined the SS in October 1931. He participated in numerous campaigns in World War II, and several times ordered the mass murders of civilians and prisoners of war, receiving a death sentence for ordering the murders of Canadian POWs in the Ardenne Abbey massacre in 1944. SS-Brigadeführer Meyer's sentence was commuted to 14 years, and he was released on good behaviour in 1951. He became active in Hilfsgemeinschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit der Angehörigen der ehemaligen Waffen-SS (HIAG), a lobby group dedicated to rehaibilitating the reputation of the SS. SS-Brigadeführer Meyer suffered from heart and kidney disease in later years, and died on his 51st birthday, after a series of strokes.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Le rire du sergent--Michel Sardou (6th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): O Holy Night--Tommy Drennan

Died on this date
Glenn Wallichs, 61. U.S. businessman. Mr. Wallichs opened several radio stores and two recording studios in the Los Angeles area before opening Wallichs Music City at the corner of Sunset and Vine in Hollywood in 1940. It became the largest record store in southern California and the world's largest specialty record store. On February 7, 1942, Mr. Wallichs and songwriters Johnny Mercer and Buddy DeSylva founded Capitol Records. Mr. Wallichs left the record store in 1946 in charge of his brother Clyde, and eventually became chairman of Capitol Industries. He died after a long illness.

Politics and government
Nationalist China's governing Kuomintang announced that the first national elections since 1947 would be held in May 1972. President Chiang Kai-shek had always refused to hold elections pending his government's return to mainland China, when all Chinese could participate.

Health
U.S. President Richard Nixon signed a bill to implement a much-expanded research attack on cancer. 137 guests, including many research scientists, were at the White House for the occasion.

Economics and finance
The Canadian Parliament passed the Capital Gains Tax, effective January 1, 1972, Valuation Day.

Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Garneau announced to the National Assembly a provincial tax policy aimed at harmonizing Quebec's tax laws with those of Canada.

40 years ago
1981

Politics and government
Historian George Francis Gillman Stanley of Sackville took office as Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, succeeding Hédard Robichaud.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Piece of My Wish--Miki Imai (3rd week at #1)

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

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Let's Talk About Sex--Salt-N-Pepa (6th week at #1)

Politics and government
A Gallup Poll reported that support for sovereignty-association in Québec has dropped to 47% from 61% in May 1990.

Business
Toronto-based Grafton-Fraser announced its intention to close 221 Jack Fraser, George Richards, Grafton & Co, Madison, and Bimini stores, eliminating 1,700 full-time and part-time jobs.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Child--Mark Owen (4th week at #1)

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

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Time to Say Goodbye--Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Canada (RPM): Head Over Feet--Alanis Morissette (6th week at #1)

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Bola Ige, 71. Nigerian politician. Mr. Ige, a Yoruba, was a lawyer before entering politics; he was Commissioner for Agriculture (1967-1970) in the Western Region of Nigeria in the military government of General Yakubu Gowon. Mr. Ige joined the Unity Party of Nigeria in the late 1970s, and was Governor of Oyo State (1979-1983). He was defeated in his bid for re-election, successfully challenged the result, but was deposed by a coup led by Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon. Mr. Ige was accused of enriching himself with party funds and was detained for two years, but was released in 1985 and resumed his law practice. When democracy was returned to Nigeria in 1999, Mr. Ige returned to politics as a member of the Alliance for Democracy, serving as Nigeria's Minister of Power and Steel (1999-2000) in the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney in January 2000; in November 2001 he declared that the Sokoto State government would not be allowed to enforce the death penalty by stoning against Safiya Hussaini, a woman convicted of adultery. Mr. Ige was entangled in squabbles within the Alliance for Democracy, which resulted in the murder of Osun State legislator Odunayo Olagbaju, the week before Mr. Ige was gunned down at his home in Ibadan. All those charged in Mr. Ige's murder were acquitted.

Politics and government
Adolfo Rodriguez Saa was sworn in as interim President of Argentina, and immediately announced the suspension of payment on the external debt in the biggest debt default in history.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Bill Hall, 65. U.S. broadcaster. Mr. Hall was a weatherman and anchorman with Nashville television station WSMV from 1974-2005.

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.

December 20, 2021

180 years ago
1841

Born on this date
Ferdinand Buisson. French politician. Mr. Buisson was a member of the Radical-Socialist party who was president of the French Human Rights League from 1913-1926. He and Ludwig Quidde of Germany shared the 1927 Nobel Peace Prize "[for] contributions to Franco-German popular reconciliation." Mr. Buisson died on February 16, 1932 at the age of 90.

160 years ago
1861

Born on this date
Ferdinand Bonn. German actor. Mr. Bonn began his career on stage in 1885, and in 1905 founded Ferdinand Bonn's Berlin Theater, which collapsed after just two years. He frequently played detectives, including Sherlock Holmes in several plays. Mr. Bonn appeared in 80 films from 1912-1932, and died on September 24, 1933 at the age of 71.

Defense
The British War Office ordered 18 transport ships loaded with men, arms and supplies to Canada. 16 batteries of Royal Artillery were earmarked, with 4 companies of Royal Engineers and 11 battalions of infantry, for a total of over 11,000 men. 50,000 rifles and 2¼ million rounds of ammunition were also sent for the defense of Canada in case the "Trent Affair" was not settled without war.

150 years ago
1871

Born on this date
Henry Kimball Hadley. U.S. composer and conductor. Mr. Hadley conducted various orchestras, and was the first conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. In 1933 he founded the National Association for American Composers and Conductors, and a year later, founded the summer festival known today as Tanglewood. Mr. Hadley wrote five symphonies, five operas, as well as symphonic poems, and numerous choral, orchestral, and chamber works. He conducted the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for the soundtrack of the movie Don Juan (1926--the first motion picture with synchronized sound--and composed the first original motion picture score, for When a Man Loves (1927). Mr. Hadley was one of the most-performed composers of his time, but has largely been forgotten since his death after a long battle with cancer on September 6, 1937 at the age of 65.

Politics and government
Edward Blake was sworn in as Premier of Ontario, beginning 34 straight years of Liberal rule in the province. He replaced Liberal-Conservative John Sandfield Macdonald, who was gravely ill and had resigned after an inconclusive election that was followed by the desertion of a few coalition Reformers.

140 years ago
1881

Born on this date
Branch Rickey, 83. U.S. baseball player, manager, and executive. Mr. Rickey, nicknamed "The Mahatma," was a catcher with the St. Louis Browns (1905-1906, 1914) and New York Highlanders (1907), batting .239 with 3 home runs and 39 runs batted in in 120 games. He managed the Browns from 1913-1915 and the St. Louis Cardinals from 1919-1925, compiling a record of 597-664-16. Mr. Rickey was also the Browns' general manager from 1913-1915 and 1919 before moving to the Cardinals, holding the same position from 1919-1942. With the Cardinals, Mr. Rickey developed the idea of a farm system of minor league teams feeding the major league club; the Cardinals won six pennants under his leadership, and World Series championships in 1926, 1931, 1934, and 1942. Mr. Rickey then moved on to the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming part-owner and putting together the team that won National League pennants in 1947 and 1949, before selling his share of the club in 1950. His most famous act was signing Jackie Robinson, who, in 1947, became the first Negro player in modern major league baseball. Mr. Rickey served as president of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1950-1955, but had no success at all. He came out of retirement to rejoin the Cardinals as an executive after the 1962 season, and the team won the World Series in 1964. Mr. Rickey died on December 9, 1965, 26 days after suffering a stroke while delivering a speech in Columbia, Missouri, and 11 days before his 84th birthday. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.

130 years ago
1891

Born on this date
Erik Almlöf. Swedish athlete. Mr. Almlöf specialized in the triple jump, winning bronze medals at the 1912 Olympic Games in Oslo and the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. He had a business career divided between Sweden and the United States, and died in Pennsylvania on January 18, 1971, 29 days after his 79th birthday.

120 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Robert Van de Graaff, 65. U.S. engineer. Mr. Van de Graaff was known for the design and construction of the Van de Graaff generators. He died on January 16, 1967, 27 days after his 65th birthday.

Communications
Canadian Finance Minister William Fielding assured Guglielmo Marconi of a warm welcome in Nova Scotia to continue his experiments in wireless telegraphy, and offered Canadian government assistance. The Anglo-American Telegraph Company, with its underseas cable to Europe, had a monopoly in Newfoundland, and threatened to sue Mr. Marconi, who then set up shop in Cape Breton.

110 years ago
1911

Born on this date
Hortense Calisher. U.S. authoress. Miss Calisher was a New York feminist who wrote more than 20 novels and collections of short stories, and was nominated three times for the National Book Award. She died on January 13, 2009, 24 days after her 97th birthday.

Politics and government
U.S. President William Howard Taft delivered the third part of his four-part annual State of the Union message to Congress. Part III dealt with the tariff on wool.

Energy
The Albert County natural gas pipeline from Stoney Creek, New Brunswick commenced service to Moncton, although a temporary disruption occurred when a gas explosion on Main Street destroyed four buildings.

Transportation
Alberta adopted its Highways Act.

100 years ago
1921

Died on this date
Julius Richard Petri, 69. German physician. Dr. Petri was a hospital and military physician who was assisting bacteriologist Robert Koch at the Imperial Health Office in Berlin (1877-1879) when he invented the Petri dish, a shallow transparent lidded dish that biologists use to hold growth medium in which cells can be cultured.

80 years ago
1941

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Elmer's Tune--Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (Vocal refrain by Ray Eberle and the Modernaires)

War
A Soviet communique reported the recapture of Volololamsk on the central front and Voibokala on the northern front. Japanese troops landed from four transports at Davao on the Philippine island of Mindanao, 60 miles southeast of Manila; heavy fighting was reported. The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, better known as the "Flying Tigers," saw their first action in Kunming, China, when aircraft of the 1st and 2nd squadrons intercepted 10 unescorted Kawasaki Ki-48 "Lily" bombers of the 21st Hikōtai attacking Kunming. The bombers jettisoned their loads before reaching Kunming. Three of the Japanese bombers were shot down near Kunming and a fourth was damaged so severely that it crashed before returning to its airfield at Hanoi. Two American tankers were attacked by submarines off the Pacific coast of the United States; one ship escaped, but the 6,912-ton Emidio was abandoned off Cape Mendocino after being shelled and torpedoed. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt named Admiral Ernest King, current commander of the Atlantic Fleet, as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Fleet. The Cuban government ordered the internment of all Japanese in Cuba.

Labour
Scores of welders went on strike in shipyards and defense plants in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas in protest against alleged American Federation of Labor discrimination.

75 years ago
1946

War
French forces recaptured parts of Hanoi that had been seized the day before by Vietnamese nationalists, who took refuge west of the city near Ha Dong.

British authorities in Hamburg ordered immediate trials for 27,000 members of the SS and other Nazi organizations condemned for war crimes at Nuremberg.

World events
Soviet occupation authorities ordered a U.S. courier ship out of the Manchurian port of Dairen after a two-day stay, creating an international incident.

Defense
Commanding general of U.S. ground forces General Jacob Devers announced plans for an increase in the size and firepower of fighting units to meet the requirements of the "atomic age."

Politics and government
The United Kingdom offered Burma independence on the same terms extended to India, and invited a Burmese delegation to London for negotiations.

Boxing
Sugar Ray Robinson (74-1-1) won a 15-round unanimous decision over Tommy Bell (39-11-2) before 15,670 fans at Madison Square Garden in New York to win the National Boxing Association and New York State Athletic Commission world welterweight titles, which had been vacant since the retirement of Marty Servo three months earlier.

70 years ago
1951

At the movies
Death of a Salesman, directed by László Benedek, and starring Fredric March, Mildred Dunnock, Kevin McCarthy, and Cameron Mitchell, opened in theatres.



Theatre
Antony and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Michael Benthall, and starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Broadway in New York. It ran in repertory with Caesar and Cleopatra, which had opened the previous night.

Mexicana
Following Senate approval, Baja California became Mexico's 29th state.

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly chose Greece to succeed Yugoslavia on the Security Council despite the Soviet bloc's contention that an Eastern European country was entitled to the seat under an informal agreement dating from 1945.

Defense
The U.S. Selective Service headquarters announced that 300,000 4-Fs rejected for mental reasons would be reexamined for possible induction under reduced admission standards.

Politics and government
The New York Times reported that four U.S. federal agencies--the Central Intelligence Agency, Atomic Energy Commission, and State and Defense Departments)--were using lie detectors as part of their security programs.

Energy
The Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR)-I in Arco, Idaho became the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity. The electricity powered four light bulbs.

60 years ago
1961

Died on this date
Earle Page, 81. Prime Minister of Australia, 1939. Sir Earle, a physician by trade, represented Cowper in the Australian Parliament (1919-1961). He joined the Country Party in 1920, and led it from 1921-1939. Sir Earle held various cabinet posts including Treasurer (1923-1929); Minister for Commerce (1932-1939, 1940-1941); and Minister for Health (1937-1938, 1949-1956). He was Prime Minister from April 7-26, 1939, between the death in office of Joseph Lyons and the election of Robert Menzies as leader of the United Australia Party and Prime Minister in the UAP-Country coalition. Sir Earle refused to serve in Mr. Menzies' cabinet and withdrew the Country Party from the coalition, which led to his resignation as party leader in September 1939. Sir Earle was suffering from lung cancer in 1961, but still campaigned for re-election in Cowper. He went into a coma several days before the December 9 election and was defeated, four days before the 42nd anniversary of his assumption of his seat. Sir Earle never regained consciousness.

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Maggie May--Rod Stewart (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Ame no Midōsuji--Ouyang Fei Fei (7th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Mammy Blue--Pop-Tops (9th week at #1)

At the movies
Harold and Maude, directed by Hal Ashby, and starring Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Roy Disney, 78. U.S. motion picture executive. Mr. Disney was the older brother of motion picture producer Walt Disney, and the two co-founded Walt Disney Productions. While Walt was the creative genius of the company, Roy looked after the financial interests of the studio. Roy Disney retired shortly after the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971.

Diplomacy
The international aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) was founded in Paris by Bernard Kouchner and a group of journalists.

Politics and government
Pakistani Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took office as President and martial law administrator, returning the nation to civilian rule for the first time since 1958. His predecessor, Agha Mohammed Yahya Khan, was forced to resign following Pakistan's defeat by India in the recent war.

Economics and finance
U.S. President Richard Nixon announced that the 10% surcharge on goods imported into the United States had been terminated.

40 years ago
1981

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): How Great Thou Art--Howard Morrison

#1 single in Switzerland: Physical--Olivia Newton-John (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Dimitris Rontiris, 82. Greek theatre director. Mr. Rontiris was an actor before becoming a director. He was appointed director of the Royal Theatre in Athens in 1933, directed the National Theatre of Greece (1946-1950, 1953-1955), and founded the Piraeus Theatre (1957). Mr. Rontiris directed 11 plays by William Shakespeare, classical tragedies, and modern works.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Radio & Records)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)
2 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
3 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
4 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
5 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
6 No Son of Mine--Genesis
7 Wildside--Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch
8 Finally--Ce Ce Peniston
9 Broken Arrow--Rod Stewart
10 Blowing Kisses in the Wind--Paula Abdul

Singles entering the chart were I Love Your Smile by Shanice (#22); Save Up All Your Tears by Cher (#23); I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt (#30); Addams Groove by MC Hammer (#31); Keep it Comin' by Keith Sweat (#35); I'll Get By by Eddie Money (#37); and There Will Never be Another Tonight by Bryan Adams (#40).

Edmontonia
A year after it had closed, the Garneau Theatre reopened as a second-run movie theatre. The theatre, located at 8712 109 St., was built in 1940.

Defense
The U.S. Navy announced plans to close its Argentia, Newfoundland base in 1994; 500 personnel would leave what was once the largest U.S. base on foreign soil.

Abominations
A Missouri court sentenced Palestinian terrorist Zein Isa and his wife Maria to death for the "honour killing" of their daughter Palestina.

Hockey
NHL
National Hockey League governors granted membership to the new Ottawa and Tampa Bay teams; the Ottawa group was led by real estate investor Bruce Firestone.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Un-Break My Heart--Toni Braxton

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): 2 Become 1--Spice Girls

At the movies
My Fellow Americans, directed by Peter Segal, and starring Jack Lemmon, James Garner, and Dan Aykroyd, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Carl Sagan, 62. U.S. astronomer. Dr. Sagan was known within science for his research into planetary atmospheres, especially that of Venus, but was best known as a popularizer of astronomy and science. He wrote and hosted the PBS documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (1980). Dr. Sagan promoted investigation of unidentified flying objects, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and nuclear disarmament. He died of pneumonia after a battle with cancer.

10 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Léopold Sédar Senghor, 95. 1st President of Senegal, 1960-1980. Professor Senghor was a poet and linguistics professor who was the major theoretician of Négritude, aimed at raising and cultivating "Black consciousness" across Africa and its diaspora; unlike many of its proponents, Prof. Senghor was not a Marxist. He served with the French Colonial Army in World War II, and survived internment in a German prison camp. Prof. Senghor co-founded the Bloc démocratique sénégalais (Senegalese Democratic Bloc) in 1948, and held various offices until taking office as President upon Senegal's independence from France in 1960. He wrote the Senegalese national anthem, and adopted a three-party system--socialist, Communist, and liberal--for the country. Prof. Senghor also served as Senegal's Foreign Minister, and unlike the leaders of most post-colonial African regimes, maintained close relations with France. He retired on December 31, 1980, and was succeeded by Prime Minister Abdou Diouf. Prof. Senghor was a member of the Académie française from 1983 until his death.

Foster Brooks, 89. U.S. comedian. Mr. Brooks was best known for playing the character of a "Loveable Lush" in nightclub and television appearances in the 1960s and '70s. He frequently appeared on The Dean Martin Show and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, receiving an Emmy Award nomination for the former in 1974. Mr. Brooks died of heart failure.

Politics and government
Fernando de la Rua resigned as President of Argentina amidst several days of rioting throughout the nation.

Law
The Quebec provincial government announced that motorists would be allowed to turn right at most red lights, starting August 18, 2002, with the island of Montreal excepted. Quebec and New York City were the last North American jurisdictions to ban such turns.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Barry Reckord, 85. Jamaican playwright. Mr. Reckford was one of the first Caribbean writers to achieve success in Britain, where he spent most of his adult life. His plays included Della (1953); You in Your Small Corner (1961); and Skyvers (1963). Mr. Reckford often worked with his younger brother Lloyd, an actor and director. Barry Reckford spent his last years back in Jamaica, where he died after years of declining health.

December 16, 2021

590 years ago
1431

Franciana
King Henry VI of England was crowned King of France at Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.

260 years ago
1761

War
After a four-month siege, Russian forces under Pyotr Rumyantsev took the Prussian fortress of Kolberg.

210 years ago
1811

Disasters
The first two in a series of four severe earthquakes, with an estimated magnitude of 7.7, struck the central Mississippi River Valley in the vicinity of New Madrid, Missouri.
130 years ago
1891

Scandal
Honoré Mercier was dismissed as Premier of Québec by Lieutenant-Governor Auguste-Réal Angers after a federal Senate inquiry and provincial Royal Commission had found that Mr. Mercier had awarded subsidies for the Baie des Chaleurs Railway in return for Liberal party funds. Mr. Mercier was succeeded as Premier by Charles Boucher de Boucherville, who had previously served as Premier from 1874-1878.

120 years ago
1901

Born on this date
Margaret Mead. U.S. anthropologist. Dr. Mead influenced the sexual revolution and feminist movement through books such as Coming of Age in Samoa (1928) and Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies (1935), popularizing the ideas that sexual morality and sex roles were largely influenced by culture. She was a pioneer among anthropologists in living with native peoples in order to study them. Dr. Mead died on November 15, 1978 at the age of 76.

Radio
Guglielmo Marconi was officially notified by the Anglo-American Telegraph Company that it would take legal action against him unless he immediately ceased his wireless experiments and removed his equipment from Newfoundland. Anglo-American had a fifty-year monopoly on electrical communications in Newfoundland that began in 1858, and it was determined to hinder radio telegraphy, which was a serious threat to its transatlantic electric telegraph business operated by submarine cables. Mr. Marconi soon decided to move his base of operations to Cape Breton Island, and was welcomed there on December 26 with open arms.

100 years ago
1921

Born on this date
Eulalio González. Mexican entertainer. Eulalio "Lalo" González Ramírez was a singer-songwriter, actor, and screenwriter who was a radio announcer before beginning a career in movies in 1951, appearing in more than 70 films in a career spanning almost 40 years. His comic character "Piporro" was regarded as the embodiment of norteño (northern Mexican) popular culture, and his films often dealt with situations regarding the border between Mexico and the United States. Mr. González was nominated for four Ariel Awards, winning for his minor role in Espaldas mojadas (1955) and for his comedy performance in El pocho (1970). He died of a heart attack on September 1, 2003 at the age of 81.

Died on this date
Camille Saint-Saëns, 86. French musician and composer. Mr. Saint-Saëns was a child prodigy as a pianist, and served as a church organist in Paris for 25 years. He was a composer of the Romantic era, known for works such as the tone poem Danse macabre (1875); the suite Le Carnaval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) (1886); and Symphony No. 3 in C minor aka "Organ Symphony" (1887). Mr. Saint-Saëns promoted modern music when he was young, but in later years he was regarded as a reactionary.

90 years ago
1931

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Richard Gordon and Leigh Lovell, on NBC
Tonight's episode: The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb

80 years ago
1941

War
The U.S.S.R. announced the recapture of Kalinin, 90 miles northwest of Moscow. Six German Gestapo agents were killed by a bomb near Paris. The Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London declared that a state of war existed between Czechoslovakia and all countries at war with the U.K., U.S.A., and U.S.S.R. Japanese forces drove toward Panang in northwestern Malaya and occupied Miri, Sarawak. The U.S. Navy announced that Japanese warships had bombarded the U.S. naval outpost of Johnston Island and that a submarine had shelled the shipping centre of Kahului on the Hawaiian island of Maui during the previous 24 hours. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed a five-man board led by Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts to investigate whether there had been any negligence by the U.S. Army and Navy in the December 7 Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The United States Weather Bureau announced that publication of long-range forecasts would be banned for the duration of World War II as a security measure. HMCS Calgary was commissioned for the Royal Canadian Navy at Esquimalt, British Columbia. Mexican President Manuel Avila Camacho asked the Senate for authority to permit troops, warships, and planes of American nations fighting the Axis to use Mexican territory, waters, and ports for the duration of World War II.

World events
The Argentine cabinet declared a state of siege throughout the country; all constitutional guarantees were suspended.

Politics and government
Both houses of the United States Congress passed legislation giving President Roosevelt wartime powers similar to those held by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I. Mr. Roosevelt appointed Associated Press executive news editor Byron Price as director of the new censorship office.

Law
U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle notified U.S. attorneys not to prosecute persons arrested on charges of seditious speech without the consent of the Justice Department.

Aviation
The U.S. National Aeronautics Association awarded its highest honour, the Collier Trophy, to Dr. Sanford A. Moss for "outstanding success in high altitude flying through the development of the turbo-supercharger."

Labour
The American Federation of Labor issued a declaration of war labour policy, renewing its request to the Congress of Industrial Organizations "for unity in the labor movement."

75 years ago
1946

Hit parade
U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Ole Buttermilk Sky--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hoagy Carmichael
--Helen Carroll and the Satisfiers
--Paul Weston and his Orchestra with Matt Dennis
2 Rumors are Flying--Frankie Carle and his Orchestra
--The Andrews Sisters with Les Paul
--Betty Rhodes
--Tony Martin
3 The Old Lamp-Lighter--Sammy Kaye and his "Swing and Sway" Orchestra
--Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
--Hal Derwin
4 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons--King Cole Trio
--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra
5 This is Always--Harry James and his Orchestra
--Jo Stafford
6 The Things We Did Last Summer--Frank Sinatra
--Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra
7 To Each His Own--Eddy Howard and his Orchestra with Eddy Howard and Trio
--The Ink Spots
--Freddy Martin and his Orchestra with Stuart Wade
--Tony Martin
--The Modernaires with Paula Kelly
8 Five Minutes More--Frank Sinatra
--Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--The Three Suns
8 South America, Take it Away--Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
--Xavier Cugat and the Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra
10 Passe--Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
--Margaret Whiting

Singles entering the chart were Oh, But I Do, with versions by Margaret Whiting; Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra; and Harry James and his Orchestra (#19); A Rainy Night in Rio by Sam Donahue and his Orchestra (#23); and Sonata, with versions by Perry Como; and Jo Stafford (#30).

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

War
Reports from Irkutsk revealed that three million German and Japanese prisoners of war were building railways and highways in Siberia.

Defense
U.S. President Harry Truman approved a directive placing the armed forces under a single commander in each overseas theatre.

Politics and government
French Prime Minister Leon Blum, a Socialist, formed an all-Socialist cabinet with Guy Mollet as Minister of State.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmoud Fahmy Nokrashy Pasha receive a vote of confidence from Parliament on his intention to bring about a union with Sudan.

Scandal
Mississippi contractors told the U.S. Senate War Investigating Committee that they had given Sen. Theodore Bilbo (Democrat--Mississippi) a Cadillac and other gifts in the hope of gaining government contracts.

Economics and finance
Argentine President Juan Peron announced the liberalization of credit, allowing the government to make home and business loans at 2%-5% interest.

Labour
The New York Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. government's right to discharge employees suspected of disloyalty by rejecting the reinstatement plea of Morton Friedman, a War Manpower Commission employee dismissed for associating with a Communist-controlled group.

The Congress of Industrial Organizations United Office and Professional Workers announced a policy to eliminate "Communist interference" in its affairs.

Football
NFL
Bert Bell signed a new five-year contract as National Football League Commissioner, effective January 1, 1947. Mr. Bell had previously signed a three-year pact after replacing Elmer Layden early in 1946.

70 years ago
1951

On television tonight
Out There, on CBS
Tonight's episode: Seven Temporary Moons, starring Ann Gillis, Robert P. Lieb, Robert Pastene, and G. Albert Smith

Dragnet, starring Jack Webb and Bart Yarborough, on NBC Tonight's episode: The Human Bomb

This was the first episode of the series, which had been running on radio since 1949.



Died on this date
Dorothy Dix, 90. U.S. journalist. Miss Dix, whose real name was Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, adopted her pseudonym when she began writing obituaries, recipes and theatre reviews for the New Orleans Daily Picayune in 1896. She soon began her advice column Dorothy Dix Talks, which achieved widespread popularity after being acquired by the Public Ledger Syndicate in 1923. The column was published in as many as 273 newspapers, and at its peak in 1940, Miss Dix was receiving 100,000 letters a year, and being read by 60 million people. She also reported on major murder trials for the New York Evening Journal for 15 years. Mrs. Gilmer supported women's suffrage, and was still the most widely-read and highest-paid female journalist in the United States at the time of her death, four weeks after her 90th birthday.

Politics and government
Uruguayan voters approved a proposal to abolish the presidency and set up a nine-man State Council in its place.

Society
The Iranian Parliament passed a resolution to consider legislation banning alcoholic beverages in Iran in line with the Islamic doctrine of total abstinence.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations urged U.S. President Harry Truman to raise the minimum wage from 75¢ to $1.25 per hour.

Disasters
A Miami Airlines C-46 crashed shortly after takeoff in Elizabeth, New Jersey, killing all 56 passengers and crew members in the U.S.A.'s second-worst air disaster to date.

Football
NFL
Chicago Cardinals (3-9) 24 @ Chicago Bears (7-5) 14
Cleveland (11-1) 24 @ Philadelphia (4-8) 9
Detroit (7-4-1) 17 @ San Francisco (7-4-1) 21
Green Bay (3-9) 14 @ Los Angeles (8-4) 42
New York Giants (9-2-1) 27 @ New York Yanks (1-9-2) 17
Pittsburgh (4-7-1) 20 @ Washington (5-7) 10



60 years ago
1961

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): My Boomerang Won't Come Back--Charlie Drake (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Italy: Nata per me--Adriano Celentano (5th week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Weiße Rosen aus Athen--Nana Mouskouri (9th week at #1)

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

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Tower of Strength--Frankie Vaughan (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens (2nd week at #1)
2 Goodbye Cruel World--James Darren
3 Please Mr. Postman--The Marvelettes
4 Big Bad John--Jimmy Dean
5 Walk on By--Leroy Van Dyke
6 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
7 The Twist--Chubby Checker
8 Moon River--Jerry Butler
--Henry Mancini, his Orchestra and Chorus
9 Let There Be Drums--Sandy Nelson
10 Peppermint Twist - Part I--Joey Dee & the Starliters

Versions of Maria by the Clebanoff Strings and Johnny Mathis were now listed with that of Roger Williams, standing at #61. Singles entering the chart were Baby it's You by the Shirelles (#71); Twist-Her by Bill Black's Combo (#74); Norman by Sue Thompson (#77); The Wanderer by Dion (#79); Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker (#87); A Little Bitty Tear by Burl Ives (#88); Letter Full of Tears by Gladys Knight & the Pips (#89); She's Everything (I Wanted You to Be) by Ral Donner (#90); Dear Lady Twist by Gary (U.S.) Bonds (#94); The Bells at My Wedding by Paul Anka (#98); Lonesome Number One by Don Gibson (#99); I Could Have Loved You so Well by Ray Peterson (#100); Baby's First Christmas by Connie Francis (also #100); and Go on Home by Patti Page (also #100).

Vancouver's Top 10 (CFUN)
1 The Wanderer--Dion
2 Walkin' with My Angel--Bobby Vee
3 Jingle Bell Rock--Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker
--Bobby Helms
4 Run to Him--Bobby Vee
5 Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen--Neil Sedaka
6 The Twist--Chubby Checker
7 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens
8 Static--Dana and Dexter
9 Hey! Little Girl--Del Shannon
10 Peppermint Twist--Joey Dee & the Starliters
--Danny Peppermint and the Jumping Jacks

Singles entering the chart were Norman by Sue Thompson (#26); Multiplication by Bobby Darin (#32); Memories of Maria by Jerry Byrd and his Guitar (#39); Young Love by Sonny James (#42); Let's Twist Again by Chubby Checker (#46); Dear Lady Twist by Gary (U.S.) Bonds (#48); and The Majestic by Dion (#50). Multiplication was from the movie Come September. Memories of Maria was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Young Love was a new version of the song that had been a major hit for Mr. James in 1957.

Vancouver's Top 10 (CKWX)
1 The Twist--Chubby Checker
2 The Lion Sleeps Tonight--The Tokens
3 Walkin' with My Angel/Run to Him--Bobby Vee
4 The Wanderer/The Majestic--Dion
5 Peppermint Twist--Joey Dee & the Starliters
6 Gypsy Rover--The Highwaymen
7 Hey! Little Girl--Del Shannon
8 Blue Hawaii (LP)--Elvis Presley
9 Dreamy Eyes--Johnny Tillotson
10 Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen--Neil Sedaka

Singles entering the chart were Six White Boomers by Rolf Harris (#20); Norman by Sue Thompson (#22); Multiplication by Bobby Darin (#36); My Boomerang Won't Come Back by Charlie Drake (#37); Small Sad Sam by Phil McLean (#39); and Tennessee Flat-Top Box by Johnny Cash (#40).

On television tonight
The Roaring 20's, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Blondes Prefer Gentlemen

Died on this date
Hans Rebane, 78. Estonian diplomat, politician, and journalist. Mr. Rebane was editor-in-chief of the newspapers Postimees (1913-1914, 1916-1917) and Eesti Päevaleht (1918-1927) before being elected to the Riigikogu and serving as Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs (1927-1928). He was Estonian Minister in Finland (1931-1937) and Latvia (1937-1940), losing the latter position when Latvia was occupied by Soviet forces. Mr. Rebane was arrested by Soviet authorities, but escaped, and fled to Sweden in 1944. He served as Minister and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs (1945-1949). Mr. Rebane died eight days before his 79th birthday.

Basketball
NBA
Philadelphia (18-12) 112 @ Chicago (6-21) 110

Wilt Chamberlain scored 50 points for the Warriors as they overcame a 60-54 halftime deficit to edge the Packers at the International Amphitheater, beginning a streak of 7 games in which he scored at least 50 points. Walt Bellamy led Chicago scorers with 45 points.

Football
NFL
Baltimore (8-6) 27 @ San Francisco (7-6-1) 24

50 years ago
1971

Hit parade
#1 single in France (IFOP): Le rire du sergent--Michel Sardou (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I Don't Know How to Love Him--Tina and the Real McCoy (2nd week at #1)

War
The surrender of East Pakistani forces in Dacca concluded the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Indo-Pakistani War.

Asiatica
The United Kingdom recognized Bahrain's independence, which is commemorated annually as Bahrain's National Day.

Politics and government
A three-day federal-provincial conference of Canadian health ministers began in Ottawa; the health ministers of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia stated major objections to the new federal formula for co-paying hospital and Medicare programs.

30 years ago
1991

Hit parade
#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Piece of My Wish--Miki Imai (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Finland (Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland): Laatikoita--Sielun Veljet (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Germany (Media Control): Let's Talk About Sex--Salt-N-Pepa (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Hits)
1 Black or White--Michael Jackson (2nd week at #1)
2 It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday--Boyz II Men
3 Set Adrift on Memory Bliss--P.M. Dawn
4 All 4 Love--Color Me Badd
5 Can't Let Go--Mariah Carey
6 Wildside--Mark Mark & the Funky Bunch
7 When a Man Loves a Woman--Michael Bolton
8 Keep Coming Back--Richard Marx
9 Finally--Ce Ce Peniston
10 No Son of Mine--Genesis

Singles entering the chart were Addams Groove by MC Hammer (#32); Is it Good to You by Heavy D & the Boyz (#41); Hearts Don't Think by Natural Selection (#45); and Keep it Comin' by Keith Sweat (#50).

Diplomacy
The United Nations General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism.

Asiatica
Kazakhstan declared its independence from the U.S.S.R.

Abominations
At Victoria General Hospital in Halifax, Bernard Bradley performed Canada's first transplant of tissue from aborted fetuses to battle the effects of Parkinson's disease; the procedure stimulated dopamine.

Politics and government
Canadian Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Tom Siddon signed the Nunavut land deal with Inuit of the eastern Arctic after 15 years of negotiations; the federal government agreed to create a third territory in the North called Nunavut, with $1.15 billion in grants and title to 250,000 square kilometres. A plebiscite was set for April 1992.

Business
Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc. purchased 15% of Australia's John Fairfax Group Ltd. for $1.32 billion, making Hollinger the largest single shareholder.

25 years ago
1996

Hit parade
#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Macarena Christmas--Los del Rio (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in Norway (VG-lista): I Can't Help Myself (I Love You, I Want You)--The Kelly Family (7th week at #1)

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

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Head Over Feet--Alanis Morissette (5th week at #1)
2 Mouth--Merril Bainbridge
3 When You Love a Woman--Journey
4 How Bizarre--OMC
5 Black Cloud Rain--Corey Hart
6 Bittersweet Me--R.E.M.
7 He Liked to Feel It--Crash Test Dummies
8 Angels of the Silences--Counting Crows
9 Diggin' a Hole--Big Sugar
10 Dance Into the Light--Phil Collins

Singles entering the chart were Don't Let Go by En Vogue (#81); One Headlight by the Wallflowers (#82); The Grease Megamix by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (#86); A Long December by Counting Crows (#87); Bang Bang by ZZ Top (#88); Wannabe by the Spice Girls (#89); Get it While You Can by Lawrence Gowan (#97); Any Road Back by Universal Honey (#98); and I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly (#100).

Politics and government
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien apologized for not telling the truth about the Goods and Services Tax, i.e., for giving Canadians the impression during the 1993 federal election campaign that his government would eliminate the Goods and Services Tax. The reason Canadians got that impression was because that was what Mr. Chrétien had promised.

20 years ago
2001

Died on this date
Stuart Adamson, 43. U.K. musician. Mr. Adamson, a native of Manchester who grew up in Scotland, was a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboard player with the punk rock band Skids in the 1970s and '80s and the alternative country band the Raphaels in the 1990s, but was best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the rock group Big Country from the early 1980s through the 2000s, achieving hits such as In a Big Country (1983) and Look Away (1985). He was a heavy drinker for years, sobered up for about a decade, but began drinking again. Mr. Adamson was estranged from his wife Melanie, who reported him missing on November 26, 2001, the day she filed for divorce. He was found in a hotel room in Honolulu, having hanged himself with an electrical cord from a pole in a wardrobe, after having consumed a "very strong" amount of alcohol.

Protest
More than 10,000 people joined the Scottish Countryside Alliance in the streets of Edinburgh to protest decisions being made on rural affairs.

10 years ago
2011

Died on this date
Dan Frazer, 90. U.S. actor. Mr. Frazer was a character actor in cinema and television in a career spanning more than 50 years. He was perhaps best known for playing Chief of Detectives Captain Frank McNeil in the television police series Kojak (1973-1978). Mr. Frazer died of cardiac arrest, 26 days after his 90th birthday.

Robert Easton, 81. U.S. actor. Mr. Easton, whose full name was Robert Easton Burke, was a character actor in radio, cinema, and television in a career spanning more than 65 years. He had a severe stutter when he was young, but overcame it and became a maaster of dialects, serving as a dialect coach to other actors. Mr. Easton died 23 days after his 81st birthday.

Nicol Williamson, 75. U.K. actor. Mr. Williamson, a native of Scotland, appeared on stage, screen, and television in a career spanning more than 35 years. He was regarded by many critics as the "Hamlet of his generation" in the 1960s. Mr. Williamson played Sherlock Holmes in the movie The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), but his best-known film role was as Merlin in Excalibur (1981). He died after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer.

Abominations
The Senate of Canada passed legislation to redistribute federal ridings from 308 to 338 to reflect population growth. Ontario received 15 more House of Commons seats; Alberta and B.C. 6; and Quebec 3. New ridings were in place for the 2015 federal election.

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.