December 22, 2016

Born on this date
Happy Birthday, Elena!

375 years ago
1641

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

350 years ago
1666

Died on this date
Guercino, 75. Italian artist. Guercino, whose real name was Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, was a Baroque painter and draftsman who produced over 140 paintings and numerous drawings. He painted and drew landscapes, genre subjects, and caricatures.

320 years ago
1696

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

125 years ago
1891

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

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

90 years ago
1926

Football
AFL
Exhibition
Los Angeles 34 New York Yankees 0 @ Beaumont, Texas

75 years ago
1941

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

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

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

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

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

70 years ago
1946

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

60 years ago
1956

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Just Walking in the Rain--Johnnie Ray (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in West Germany (Media Control): Smoky--Die Sieben Raben (5th week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Mirror): Just Walking in the Rain--Johnnie Ray (7th week at #1)

#1 singles in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Singing the Blues--Guy Mitchell (Best Seller--3rd week at #1; Disc Jockey--3rd week at #1; Jukebox--2nd week at #1; Top 100--3rd week at #1);

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Singing the Blues--Guy Mitchell (4th week at #1)
2 Love Me Tender--Elvis Presley
3 The Green Door--Jim Lowe
4 True Love--Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly
--Jane Powell
5 Blueberry Hill--Fats Domino
6 A Rose and a Baby Ruth--George Hamilton IV
7 Just Walking in the Rain--Johnnie Ray
8 Hey! Jealous Lover--Frank Sinatra
9 Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody--Jerry Lewis
10 Cindy, Oh Cindy--Vince Martin with the Tarriers
--Eddie Fisher

Singles entering the chart were Don't Forbid Me by Pat Boone (#25); Greensleeves by the Beverley Sisters (#37); On My Word of Honor by the Platters (#38); Jim Dandy by LaVern Baker and the Gliders (#45); I Miss You So by Chris Connor (#48); I Saw Esau by the Ames Brothers (#49); and Cinco Robles (Five Oaks) by Russell Arms (#50). Don't Forbid Me was the other side of Anastasia, charting at #35.

At the movies
The Wrong Man, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, and Harold J. Stone, opened in theatres.



Born on this date
Colo. U.S. gorilla. Colo, the first western gorilla born in captivity, was born at the Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio, and still resides there with her family.

War
British and French forces completed their withdrawal from Egypt.

World events
The Syrian government of President Shukri al-Quwatli ordered 47 opposition leaders, including former President Adib Shishekly, court-martialed on charges of "preparing a pro-Iraqi armed rebellion."

The Soviet new agency Tass charged that the United States had "staged" the recent Hungarian revolution to restore the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and place Habsburg pretender Prince Otto of Austria on the throne.

Baseball
A poll of U.S. sportscasters and sportswriters named New York Yankees' center fielder Mickey Mantle as the American "male athlete of the year." Mr. Mantle won the triple crown, leading the American League in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and runs batted in (130) as the Yankees won the World Series.

50 years ago
1966

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand: Stop Stop Stop--The Hollies (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K. (Record Retailer): Green, Green Grass of Home--Tom Jones (4th week at #1)

Died on this date
Lucy Burns, 87. U.S. political activist. Miss Burns and Alice Paul worked together to promote the cause of women's suffrage, and co-founded the National Woman's Party in 1916. The suffragettes conducted repeated protests outside the White House and were repeatedly arrested and imprisoned, but their efforts were ultimately rewarded when the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into force on August 26, 1920. Miss Burns retired from public life and devoted her remaining years to the Roman Catholic Church and her orphaned niece.

Politics and government
Ioannis Paraskevopoulos took office as Prime Minister of Greece, following the resignation of Stephanos Stephenopoulos, who had lost a substantial part of his parliamentary support. Mr. Paraskevopoulos led an interim government in preparation for general elections scheduled for May 1967.

40 years ago
1976

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K (New Musical Express): When a Child is Born--Johnny Mathis

Politics and government
Takeo Fukuda, 71, was elected leader of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party by the party's caucus. He replaced Prime Minister Takeo Miki, who had resigned after the party suffered losses in the December 5 parliamentary elections. Mr. Fukuda was narrowly elected Prime Minister by the Diet on December 24.

Hockey
WHA
International Series (exhibition)
C.S.S.R. (2-4) 2 @ Indianapolis 3

30 years ago
1986

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Funkytown--Pseudo Echo

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Geronimo's Cadillac--Modern Talking (2nd week at #1)

25 years ago
1991

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

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

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

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

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

20 years ago
1996

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

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

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

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

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

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

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