YEARS AGO

YEARS AGO

Today is Saturday, Dec. 5, the 339th day of 2015. There are 26 days left in the year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1782: The eighth president of the United States, Martin Van Buren, is born in Kinderhook, N.Y.; he was the first chief executive to be born after American independence.

1791: Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna, Austria, at age 35.

1848: President James K. Polk triggers the Gold Rush of ’49 by confirming that gold has been discovered in California.

1932: German physicist Albert Einstein is granted a visa, making it possible for him to travel to the United States.

1933: National Prohibition comes to an end as Utah becomes the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.

1945: Five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers mysteriously disappear after taking off from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a training mission (designated as Flight 19) with the loss of all 14 crew members; “The Lost Squadron,” as it comes to be known, later contributed to the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.

1955: The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merges to form the AFL-CIO under its first president, George Meany.

1962: The United States and the Soviet Union announce a bilateral space agreement on exchanging weather data from satellites, mapping Earth’s geomagnetic field and cooperating in the experimental relay of communications.

1979: Feminist Sonia Johnson is formally excommunicated by the Mormon Church because of her outspoken support for the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.

1994: Republicans choose Newt Gingrich to be the first GOP speaker of the House in four decades.

2013: Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first black president and is a global symbol of sacrifice and reconciliation, dies at age 95.

2010: On the eve of talks with six world powers, Iran announces it has produced its first batch of locally mined uranium ore for enrichment.

2014: President Barack Obama announces his choice of Ashton Carter to be the new U.S. secretary of defense.

VINDICATOR FILES

1990: Striking New Castle teachers return to the classroom, ending a 10- week strike that had 226 teachers and 4,000 students missing 51 school days. The teachers still don’t have a new contract, and negotiations with the school board will continue.

Warren Municipal Court Judge Samuel Petkovich proposes instituting house arrest for those offenders who pay the daily fee of $10.50 for an electronic security bracelet.

Some top Democrats say that if war breaks out in the Persian Gulf, there should be an income-tax surcharge to raise the tens of billions of dollars that will be spent.

1975: Youngstown Superintendent Robert L. Pegues Jr. presents the coveted Superintendent’s Sportsmanship Trophy to Chaney High School and Hillman Junior High. Winning schools are chosen by coaches, players and cheerleaders.

Samuel Torres, director of St. Joseph Riverside Hospital in Warren since 1969, accepts the post of executive director of a new $40 million hospital being built in Puerto Rico.

Nick Pope, 22, a meter reader for Ohio Water Service, will have to begin a series of rabies inoculations unless a black and brown beagle that bit him in the Squirrel Hill Drive area of Boardman is located.

1965: Gloria Savoldi, West Middlesex author, will have an autograph party in the book department of Strouss’. Her book, “Mystery of Old Dutch Echst,” is written for young people, but its information about the Amish give it an appeal to adults as well.

Hundreds line the streets of downtown East Palestine for the annual Yule parade to open the holiday shopping season.

A Youngstown couple married less than 24 hours meet a tragic death on their honeymoon trip when their car skids on wet payment and hits an abutment on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Dead are Robert J. Whitfield and his wife, Ida Gagye Whitfield.

1940: Youngstown’s 150 soldiers at Camp Shelby will get weekly copies of a popular magazine to help them while away the year’s training time, compliments of Clarence Rouse, manager of Youngstown News Co.

Dr. Henry V. Stearns, head of Youngstown College’s music department, organizes a year-round concert band. So far, 35 students have joined the group.

Youngstown City Council declines to reimburse Detective Earl Hoffman $25.65 for damage to his glasses and clothing during a scuffle with a murder suspect who was trying to escape.