Years Ago

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 22, the 356th day of 2010. There are 9 days left in the year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1864: During the Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman says in a message to President Abraham Lincoln: “I beg to present you as a Christmas-gift the city of Savannah.”

1910: Twenty-one firefighters are killed in the collapse of a burning building at the Chicago Union Stock Yards.

1940: Author Nathanael West, 37, and his wife, Eileen McKenney, 27, are killed in a car crash in El Centro, Calif., while en route to the funeral of F. Scott Fitzgerald, who had died the day before.

1968: Julie Nixon marries David Eisenhower in New York.

Lech Walesa is sworn in as Poland’s first popularly elected president.

VINDICATOR FILES

1985: William E. Clark Jr. of Girard is retiring as administrator of Gateways to Better Living Group Home program. He will be succeeded by Dennis Allen of Portage Lakes.

The New York Giants defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-10, which clinches the American Conference Central championship with a season record of 8-7.

1970: Gov.-elect John J. Gilligan names Youngstown’s city engineer J. Phillip Richley to head the Ohio Department of Highways.

The U.S. Senate unanimously passes a resolution to rename West Branch Reservoir the Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir.

1960: Fred B. King Jr., resident and treasurer of the King Funeral Home, is elected president of the Youngstown Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Internal Revenue Service is seeking to collect $2.4 million in taxes from the Leon A. Beeghly Foundation. Union National Bank says the foundation, which derives much of its income from patents of the old Cold Metal Products Co., is a tax exempt foundation and has appealed to a federal tax court.

Charles M. White announces his retirement as chairman of Republic Steel Corp., a position he took in 1956.

1935: Downtown Youngstown merchants are unanimous in declaring this the best yuletide shopping season since 1929.

With just two more shopping days to Christmas, Mahoning County residents have contributed only $4,557 toward a Christmas Seals goal of $7,500 to aid needy tubercular children.

Carl W. Ullman, president of the Dollar Savings & Trust Co., is elected president of the Youngstown Chamber of Commerce.