On This Day: January 1 – Time Rewind

On This Day January 1

Musical Milestones

1953 – One of America’s first country music superstars, Hank Williams, dies at the age of 29, but leaves a lasting legacy that continues to influence artists of all musical genres.

1959 – Another country music legend, Johnny Cash, plays his first of many free concerts at California’s San Quentin Prison.

1962 – From the “Ooops” file: The Beatles audition for London record company Decca on the same day as Brian Poole & the Tremeloes. Decca tells The Beatles, “guitar groups are on their way out,” and signs the Tremeloes.

1966 – Simon & Garfunkel are No. 1 on the singles chart with “The Sounds of Silence.”

1983 – Hall & Oates dominate the Billboard Hot 100 for a third week with “Maneater.”

2000 – “Smooth,” by Santana featuring Rob Thomas, kicks off two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It goes on to capture three Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

History Highlights

1863 – President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation aimed at abolishing slavery in the U.S.

1942 – The United Nations is created when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issue a declaration, signed by representatives of 26 countries, vowing to form an international postwar peacekeeping organization.

1959 – Cuban President Fulgencio Batista is overthrown by Fidel Castro’s forces during the Cuban Revolution.

1971 – A ban on cigarette advertising on American television takes effect, with the last commercial (for Virginia Slims) broadcast on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” at 11:50 p.m.

Celebrity Birthdays

1735 – American Revolution patriot Paul Revere (d. 1818)

1919 – Author J. D. Salinger, best known for his critically acclaimed novel “The Catcher in the Rye” (d. 2010)

1938 – Tony-winning actor Frank Langella (“Dracula,” “Dave,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Unknown”)

1942 – Country Joe McDonald, lead singer of the 60s psychedelic rock group Country Joe & the Fish

1943 – Actor-comedian Don Novello, best known as Father Guido Salducci on “Saturday Night Live”

1958 – Rapper Grandmaster Flash, born Joseph Saddler, considered one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting and mixing

1969 – Actor Morris Chestnut (“Boyz n the Hood,” “The Best Man,” “Ladder 49”)

Own a Piece of This Day

SHOP HERE:

Hank Williams: Gold

Hank Williams

Sounds of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel

The Meaning and Making of Emancipation

U.S. National Archives

Early Cigar, Cigarette and Tobacco Advertisements

D. M. Kalten

The Catcher in the Rye

J. D. Salinger

Frost/Nixon

Starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen and Kevin Bacon, and directed by Ron Howard

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