11 – Time Rewind

On This Day April 11

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On This Day March 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1903 – Bandleader and accordion player Lawrence Welk (“The Lawrence Welk Show”), known as the creator and king of so-called “champagne music” (d. 1992)

1931 – Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who founded News Corporation and FOX Broadcasting

1950 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Bobby McFerrin, best known for his 1988 smash, “Don’t Worry Be Happy”

1963 – Actress Alex Kingston (“ER,” “Doctor Who,” “Arrow”)

1969 – Actor and singer-songwriter Terrence Howard (“Hustle & Flow,” “Get Rich or Die Tryin’,” “Crash,” “The Brave One,” “Iron Man,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “Empire”)

1971 – Comedic actor Johnny Knoxville of MTV’s “Jackass” series

History Highlights

1888 – One of the worst blizzards in U.S. history strikes the Northeast, killing more than 400 people and dumping 55 inches of snow in some areas. “The Great White Hurricane,” as it comes to be known, paralyzes the East coast for days from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine.

1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Lend-Lease” program, which provides money and materials for U.S. allies in World War II, takes effect.

1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev becomes head of the Soviet Union following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. At 54, he is the youngest member of the ruling Politburo.

1989 – One of the first reality TV shows premieres on Fox Television. It’s “COPS,” which is shot documentary style as cameras follow police officers pursuing suspects and making arrests.

2011 – The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan and resulting tsunami kill more than 18,000 people in Japan, triggering a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Musical Milestones

1967 – “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone,” by the Supremes, begins one week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and becomes the Motown trio’s ninth No. 1 single. The track is from the “The Supremes Sing Holland–Dozier–Holland” album.

1972 – Harry Nilsson’s “Without You” begins its fourth and final week on top of the singles chart. The track garners Nilsson a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.

1989 – Debbie Gibson conquers the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week with Lost in Your Eyes.” It remains at No. 1 for a total of three weeks.

1995 – “Take a Bow,” by Madonna, is in the midst of a seven-week ride atop the pop chart. The track is from her “Bedtime Stories” album.

1997 – Former Beatle Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II during a Buckingham Palace ceremony honoring his “services to music.”

2000 – Country music conquers the Billboard Hot 100 as Lonestar scores a No. 1 hit with “Amazed.” It’s the last country song to do so until Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” rockets to No. 1 on September 1, 2012.

2006 – “You’re Beautiful,” by British singer-songwriter James Blunt reaches the top of the pop chart and holds there for a week.

On This Day February 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1847 – Inventor Thomas Edison (d. 1931)

1926 – Actor-comedian Leslie Nielsen (“Forbidden Planet,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Airplane,” “The Naked Gun”) (d. 2010)

1936 – Golden Globe-winning actor Burt Reynolds (“Deliverance,” “The Longest Yard,” “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Evening Shade,” “Boogie Nights”) (d. 2018)

1941 – Grammy-winning Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes

1962 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow (“If It Makes You Happy,” “Everyday Is a Winding Road”)

1969 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Jennifer Aniston, who has appeared in many movies, but is best known for playing Rachel in the NBC sitcom “Friends”

1971 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Damian Lewis (“Band of Brothers,” “Life,” “Homeland,” “Billions”)

1979 – Grammy-winning singer-actress Brandy, born Brandy Rayana Norwood (“The Boy is Mine,” “Moesha”)

History Highlights

1805 – Sacagawea, the Shoshone interpreter and guide to the Lewis and Clark expedition, gives birth to her first child, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.

1932 – The Ford Motor Company introduces the flathead V8 engine, giving the world affordable, mass-produced V8 power. It becomes the darling of hot-rodders, road racers and stock car racers for more than two decades.

1945 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin wrap up the Yalta Conference following a week of intensive talks over the progress of World War II and the post-war world.

1963 – Chef Julia Child’s show, “The French Chef,” premieres on public television (NET, which later became PBS).

1968 – New York City’s 20,000-seat Madison Square Garden officially opens between 7th and 8th Avenues in Manhattan, becoming the fourth version of that arena. The showplace for sports and entertainment opens with a gala hosted by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

1970 – Japan’s first satellite (Ohsumi) is successfully launched into an orbit around Earth, making Japan the world’s fourth space power — after the Soviet Union in 1957, the United States in 1958, and France in 1965.

1990 – Anti-apartheid crusader Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for more than 27 years, is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa. Four years later, he is elected South Africa’s president.

Musical Milestones

1964 – The Beatles play their first U.S. concert at the Washington Coliseum. More than 350 police officers surround the stage to keep some 8,000 screaming fans under control. The set includes “I Saw Her Standing There,” “This Boy”, “All My Loving,” “I Wanna Be Your Man”,” Please Please Me”, “Till There Was You”, “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Twist and Shout” and much more.

1967 – The Monkees begin their seventh and final week on top of the pop chart with “I’m a Believer.”

1978 – The Bee Gees stay on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week with “Stayin’ Alive,” from the “Saturday Night Fever” movie soundtrack. The single remains at No. 1 for a total of four weeks.

1984 – Culture Club is midway through a three-week ride on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Karma Chameleon.”

1989 – Paula Abdul starts a three-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with “Straight Up.”

2012 – Six-time Grammy-winning pop sensation Whitney Houston is found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel at the age of 48. Cause of death is determined to be drowning, with complications from cocaine use and heart disease.

On This Day January 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1757 – Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers, credited with establishing the nation’s financial system and first political party (d. 1804)

1930 – Actor Rod Taylor (“The Time Machine,” “The Birds”) (d. 2015)

1942 – Bruce Springsteen/E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemens (d. 2011)

1946 – Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Naomi Judd of The Judds (d. 2022)

1952 – Golf legend Ben Crenshaw

1971 – Grammy-winning R&B, soul and hip-hop singer Mary J. Blige

1972 – Actress Amanda Peet (“The Whole Nine Yards,” “Saving Silverman,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “Identity,” “Syriana”)

History Highlights

1908 – Calling it “the one great sight which every American should see,” U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declares the Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona a national monument. It is designated a national park in 1919.

1935 – Three years after becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to achieve a solo flight across the Pacific from Hawaii to California.

1964 – U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry publishes a report stating that smoking may be hazardous to one’s health. It is the first such statement ever made by the federal government.

1973 – Major League Baseball’s American League adopts the Designated Hitter (DH) rule, clearing the way for another player to bat for the pitcher while allowing the pitcher to remain in the game.

1989 – After eight years as U.S. president, Ronald Reagan gives his farewell address to the American people. In his speech, President Reagan said the U.S. was “respected again in the world and looked to for leadership.”

Musical Milestones

1964 – Columbia Records’ “Ring Of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash” becomes the first country album to reach No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. The first track on Side 1 of the album is Cash’s signature “Ring of Fire.”

1969 – Marvin Gaye has the hottest song on the radio with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”

1975 – Elton John’s cover of The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” begins its second and final week as a No. 1 single.

1986 – Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me” wraps up a four-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100.

1992 – Nirvana’s “Nevermind” claims the top spot on the Billboard album chart. That same evening, the band is the musical guest on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”). It marks the first time a grunge act performs for a mainstream national television audience.

1992 – Michael Jackson is king of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Black or White,” which holds the top spot for seven weeks. It is among four top 10 singles from MJ’s “Dangerous” album.

2003 – “Lose Yourself,” by Eminem from the “8 Mile” soundtrack, is the No. 1 single.

On This Day December 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1931 – Emmy, Oscar, Tony and Grammy-winning actress Rita Moreno, born Rosita Dolores Alverio (“West Side Story,” “The Electric Company,” “Oz”)

1938 – Legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, best known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (d. 2020)

1940 – Emmy-winning actress Donna Mills (“Play Misty For Me,” “Knot’s Landing,” “General Hospital”)

1944 – Pop and country singer Brenda Lee (“I’m Sorry,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”)

1947 – Actress Teri Garr (“Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie,” “Mr. Mom”)

1954 – Singer Jermaine Jackson, formerly of the Jackson 5

1958 – Mötley Crüe founder and bassist Nikki Sixx

1973 – Actor and hip hop artist Mos Def, a.k.a. Yasiin Bey, born Dante Smith (“Monster’s Ball,” “Something the Lord Made,” “Next Day Air,” “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” “16 Blocks,” “Be Kind Rewind,” “The Italian Job,” “Bamboozled,” “Brown Sugar”)

History Highlights

1777 – General George Washington marches 12,000 soldiers of his Continental Army from Whitemarsh to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania for the winter, but the troops are delayed when they encounter British forces.

1936 – After ruling for less than a year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He announces his decision during a national broadcast. The move follows condemnation by the British government, the public and the Church of England of his decision to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, and causes a constitutional crisis for the British Empire.

1946 – The United Nations General Assembly votes to establish the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an organization to help provide relief and support to children living in countries devastated by World War II.

1972 – The crew of Apollo 17 performs the sixth and final manned lunar landing.

2008 – Financier Bernard Madoff is arrested at his New York City apartment and charged with masterminding a long-running Ponzi scheme later estimated to involve around $65 billion, making it one of the biggest investment frauds in Wall Street history.

Musical Milestones

1961 – “Please Mr. Postman,” by The Marvelettes, tops the singles chart.

1961 – Elvis Presley kicks off a 20-week run on top of the Billboard album chart with the soundtrack to the movie “Blue Hawaii.” The King’s seventh No. 1 album is nominated for a Grammy.

1964 – Legendary soul singer Sam Cooke is shot to death by a Los Angeles motel manager in what investigators call a justifiable homicide. The manager claimed Cooke attacked her after trying to rape a young woman he was with. Cooke was 33.

1976 – Rod Stewart owns the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright).” The single remains at No. 1 for eight weeks, becoming the last chart-topping hit of 1976 and the first of 1977.

1982 – One-hit wonder Toni Basil reaches the top of the singles chart with “Mickey.”

1993 – Janet Jackson begins two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Again,” off her “Janet” album. It is also used as the closing track to the 1993 movie, “Poetic Justice,” starring Jackson and rapper-actor Tupac Shakur.

2004 – “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell, is the No. 1 single.

On This Day November 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1885 – General George S. Patton, Jr., who made a mark in World War I as the first officer assigned to the new U.S. Army Tank Corps before becoming one of the most prominent military commanders in World War II (d. 1945)

1922 – Author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (“Cat’s Cradle,” “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Breakfast of Champions”) (d. 2007)

1925 – Grammy and Emmy-winning actor-comedian Jonathan Winters (d. 2013)

1960 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Stanley Tucci (“Prizzi’s Honor,” “Winchell,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Julie & Julia,” “The Lovely Bones,” “The Hunger Games” trilogy, “Spotlight”)

1962 – Actress-producer Demi Moore, born Demetria Guynes (“General Hospital,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “About Last Night…,” “Ghost,” “A Few Good Men,” “Indecent Proposal,” “Striptease,” “G.I. Jane”)

1964 – Golden Globe-winning actress Calista Flockhart, best known for her starring role in the sitcom “Ally McBeal”

1974 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor-producer Leonardo DiCaprio (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Titanic,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” “Inception,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Revenant”)

History Highlights

1918 – At 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month in France, World War I — known then as The Great War and called “the war to end all wars” — comes to an end with the signing of an armistice between Allied officials and the leaders of German forces. The document is technically a ceasefire agreement, with the conflict officially concluded when the Treaty of Versailles is signed in June 1919.

1921 – U.S. President Warren G. Harding dedicates the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia during an Armistice Day ceremony.

1926 – Route 66, the highway that Nat King Cole famously sang is the place to “get your kicks,” is established. Through the years, the legendary thoroughfare has been referred to as the “Main Street of America” and has also been named the Will Rogers Highway.

1981 – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela is designated Rookie of the Year and wins the National League’s Cy Young Award, becoming the first player in baseball history to score both honors in the same season.

2000 – A funicular (train) crammed with skiers and snowboarders catches fire as it enters a tunnel in Austria, killing 155 people. Twelve people survive the tragedy, which is known as the Kaprun Disaster. Investigators blame a faulty electric heater for sparking the deadly blaze.

Musical Milestones

1938 – “God Bless America” is performed for the first time by the singer for whom composer Irving Berlin wrote it — Kate Smith — during her regular radio broadcast. It becomes Smith’s signature song.

1954 – Bill Haley & His Comets score their first Top-10 single with “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” Originally recorded by Big Joe Turner, the Haley version climbs to No. 7 on the pop chart and remains in the Top 40 for 27 weeks.

1967 – The theme from the movie “To Sir, With Love,” by Scottish vocalist Lulu, continues its five-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100.

1978 – ‘Disco Queen’ Donna Summer begins a three-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with her version of Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park.” The track is Summer’s first chart-topper.

1989 – Bad English enjoy their first and only trip to the top of the pop chart as “When I See You Smile” reaches No. 1.

1995 – Mariah Carey is in her seventh week on top of the pop chart with “Fantasy.” The song holds at No. 1 for another week.

1999 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) names The Beatles the best-selling act of the 20th century.

2000 – “With Arms Wide Open,” by Creed, begins a week on top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the Florida rockers’ first and only No. 1 single.

2006 – “My Love,” by Justin Timberlake featuring T.I., kicks off three weeks as a chart-topping single.

On This Day October 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1884 – First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (d. 1962)

1925 – Crime novelist Elmore Leonard (“Get Shorty,” “Freaky Deaky,” “Glitz”) (d. 2013)

1946 – Singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall of the duo Hall & Oates

1962 – Actress Joan Cusack (“Broadcast News,” “Working Girl,” “Say Anything…,” “In & Out,” “Runaway Bride,” “Toy Story 2,” “Toy Story 3,” “School of Rock”)

1966 – Actor Luke Perry, best known for the 1990s TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210” (d. 2019)

1968 – Stage, film and TV actress Jane Krakowski (“Ally McBeal,” “30 Rock,” “‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “Guys and Dolls,” “She Loves Me”)

1969 – Actor Stephen Moyer, best known for playing vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series “True Blood”

1985 – Actress Michelle Trachtenberg (“Harriet the Spy,” “Weeds,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)

History Highlights

1793 – The death toll from a yellow fever outbreak in what was then the U.S. capital, Philadelphia, reaches 100. Two weeks later, a cold front wipes out the city’s mosquito population, reducing the number of casualties to 20 per day. But by that November, more than 5,000 people had died.

1950 – CBS becomes the first television network to secure a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license to broadcast in color.

1968 – The first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7, blasts off and transmits the first live TV signals from orbit. The crew orbits Earth 163 times during 10 days and 20 hours in space.

1975 – Late-night television turns edgy with the first broadcast of NBC’s “Saturday Night,” later renamed “Saturday Night Live” and known today as “SNL.” Original cast members include Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris and Chevy Chase. Comedian George Carlin hosts Episode 1, with musical perfomances by Billy Preston and Janis Ian.

1986 – Following up on their successful November 1985 summit in Geneva, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Reykjavik, Iceland, to continue disarmament talks. While negotiations break down, they pave the way for the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the Superpowers.

2002 – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter wins the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

Musical Milestones

1962 – The Beatles make their first appearance on the U.K. singles chart with “Love Me Do,” which eventually peaks at No. 17. It performs better across the pond on the Billboard singles chart, where it reaches No. 1 on May 30, 1964.

1969 – The Archies wrap up four weeks as chart-toppers with “Sugar Sugar.”

1971 – John Lennon releases “Imagine,” which becomes an international anthem for peace and love and the most successful single of the former Beatle’s solo career. It peaks at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shortly before his death in 1980, Lennon admitted that much of the song’s content came from his wife, Yoko Ono, and in 2017 she receives a co-writing credit.

1975 – “Bad Blood” by Neil Sedaka, with backup vocals provided by Elton John, begins a three-week run as the No. 1 single.

1975 – “Born to Run” becomes Bruce Springsteen’s first Top 40 hit. The single only climbs as high as No. 23, but propels The Boss’s musical career into the stratosphere.

1986 – Janet Jackson scores her first No. 1 single with “When I Think of You,” off her “Control” album. The track holds the top spot for two weeks.

1997 – Elton John begins 14 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with his musical tribute to the late Princess Diana, “Candle in the Wind.” The track is an updated version of John’s 1973 recording from the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album, which was a homage to screen siren Marilyn Monroe.

2003 – “Baby Boy,” by Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul, is in the second of nine weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

2008 – T.I. (a.k.a. Tip) is No. 1 on the pop chart with “Whatever You Like.”

On This Day September 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1940 – Director Brian DePalma (“Carrie,” “Dressed to Kill,” “Blow Out,” “Scarface,” “The Untouchables,” “Carlito’s Way,” “Mission: Impossible”)

1961 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Virginia Madsen (“Candyman,” “Ghosts of Mississippi,” “The Rainmaker,” “Sideways,” “Designated Survivor”)

1962 – Emmy-winning actress Kristy McNichol (“Family,” “Empty Nest”)

1965 – Singer-songwriter-producer Moby, born Richard Melville Hall (“Go” and “Porcelain,” “Everything is Wrong and Play”)

1967 – Grammy and Emmy-winning jazz singer, pianist and actor Harry Connick, Jr.

1977 – Grammy-winning rapper and actor Ludacris, born Christopher Brian Bridges and best known for playing Tej Parker in the “The Fast and the Furious” movies

History Highlights

1961 – Packing winds of 175 miles per hour, Hurricane Carla barrels into Texas. It kills 46 people and injures more than 450 others, with many lives spared due to the evacuation of nearly half a million people from the Texas coast. Carla is the first storm to garner live television coverage, featuring a young reporter named Dan Rather, who went on to become an acclaimed CBS News journalist.

1970 – Secret agent Maxwell Smart calls Agent 99 for the last time as the final episode of “Get Smart” airs on CBS.

1971 – One of the most colorful figures of the Cold War dies: former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who went head-to-head with President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

1974 – The St. Louis Cardinals take seven hours, four minutes and 25 innings to beat the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. The contest sets a National League record for innings played in a night game. Fans finally go home after 3 a.m.

1985 – Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds becomes the all-time hit leader with his 4,192nd hit to break Ty Cobb’s record. Rose lined a 2-1 pitch off San Diego pitcher Eric Show to left-center field for a single in the first inning. It was the 57th anniversary of Ty Cobb’s last game in the majors.

2001 – Four coordinated attacks using commercial airliners are launched against the U.S. by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda, leaving thousands dead or injured. New York City’s iconic World Trade Center is destroyed, part of The Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. is damaged, and heroic passengers aboard another jet wrest control from the terrorists and crash it into a rural Pennsylvania field to prevent it from striking a major city.

Musical Milestones

1965 – The Beatles conquer the singles chart with “Help!”

1969 – John Lennon tells his business manager he’s quitting The Beatles, but doesn’t inform the band until days later.

1971 – “Go Away Little Girl,” by Donny Osmond, begins a three-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart.

1976 – “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” by KC and the Sunshine Band boogies its way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It’s the band’s third No. 1 single.

1982 – Chicago’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” is on top of the singles chart.

1993 – Mariah Carey kicks off an eight-week domination of the singles chart with “Dreamlover.”

1999 – “Bailamos,” by Enrique Iglesias, begins its second and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

2004 – “Goodies,” by Ciara featuring Petey Pablo, kicks off seven weeks on top of the singles chart.

On this Day August 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1921 – Author Alex Haley (“Roots,” “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”) (d. 1992)

1925 – TV talk show host Mike Douglas (“The Mike Douglas Show”) (d. 2006)

1949 – Singer-songwriter Eric Carmen (“All By Myself,” “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” “She Did It,” “Hungry Eyes,” “Make Me Lose Control,”)

1950 – Apple Computer co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak

1953 – Pro wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea

1954 – Singer-songwriter Joe Jackson (“Is She Really Going Out With Him,” “Steppin’ Out,” “Breaking Us In Two”)

1965 – Tony and Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis (“Doubt,” “The Help,” “How to Get Away With Murder”)

1983 – Actor Chris Hemsworth (“Thor,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” “Red Dawn,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”)

History Highlights

1934 – The first inmates, classified as “most dangerous,” arrive at the federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, joining a few dozen prisoners left over from the island’s days as a U.S. military prison.

1956 – Abstract artist Jackson Pollock dies in a drunk-driving car crash at the age of 44.

1965 – Following the arrest of a young black motorist, the predominately black Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts erupts in riots that last six days and leave more than 30 people dead.

1965 – The Ford Motor Company introduces the Bronco to compete with the Jeep CJ-5 and International Harvester Scout. The Bronco gets a massive publicity boost in June of 1994 when it was the subject of a low-speed LA police chase involving then-murder suspect O.J. Simpson. More than five decades later, an updated version of the workhorse is still going strong.

1973 – “American Graffiti” opens in theaters. The coming-of-age film set in 1962 California was co-written and directed by George Lucas and stars Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard and Harrison Ford.

1984 – During a sound check before a Saturday radio broadcast, President Ronald Reagan jokingly says, “My fellow Americans. I’m pleased to announce that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” Reagan was unaware, however, that the feed was live. The Soviets, who find no humor in the remark, put their military on high alert.

2014 – Oscar-winning actor-comedian Robin Williams (“Mork and Mindy,” “The World According to Garp,” “Moscow on the Hudson,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Dead Poets Socity,” “Aladdin,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “The Birdcage,” “Good Will Hunting”) dies by suicide at the age of 63.

Musical Milestones

1962 – Neil Sedaka has his first No. 1 single with “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.” The song holds the top spot for two weeks.

1964 – The Beatles’ movie “Help!” premieres in New York. Directed by Richard Lester, it is the Fab Four’s second film.

1979 – ‘Disco Queen’ Donna Summer begins her fifth and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Bad Girls.”

1984 – Who ya gonna call? Ray Parker, Jr. starts a three-week run at No. 1 with the theme from the film “Ghostbusters.”

1999 – KISS arrives on Hollywood Boulevard to unveil their star on The Walk Of Fame. The band had released over 30 albums and sold over 80 million records worldwide.

2001 – Boy band NSYNC’s “Celebrity” album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

On this Day July 11

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Celebrity Birthdays

1767 – John Quincy Adams, sixth U.S. president (d. 1848)

1920 – Tony and Oscar-winning actor Yul Brynner (“The King and I,” “Anastasia,” “The Ten Commandments,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Westworld”) (d. 1985)

1934 – Fashion designer Giorgio Armani

1950 – Actor Bruce McGill (“MacGyver,” “My Cousin Vinny,” “The Insider,” “Ali,” “Legally Blonde 2,” “Collateral,” “Rizzoli & Isles”)

1953 – Former heavyweight boxing champion Leon Spinks (d. 2021)

1956 – Emmy-winning actress Sela Ward (“Sisters,” “The Fugitive,” “Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story,” “Once and Again,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Guardian,” “The Stepfather,” “Gone Girl”)

1959 – Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega (“Tom’s Diner,” “Luka”)

1963 – Actress and TV host Lisa Rinna (“Days of Our Lives,” “Melrose Place,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”)

1975 – Grammy-winning rapper Lil’ Kim, born Kimberly Denise Jones (“Magic Stick,” “Crush on You,” “Lady Marmalade”)

History Highlights

1804 – Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shoots his longtime political antagonist, Alexander Hamilton, in a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton, a leading Federalist and former Treasury Secretary, dies the next day.

1914 – George Herman “Babe” Ruth makes his major league debut, pitching seven strong innings to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians, 4-3.

1916 – President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Aid Road Act, making federal funds available for construction and maintenance of U.S. highways.

1979 – Skylab plunges to Earth six years after its launch, showering flaming debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia, but fortunately causing no casualties.

1985 – Coca-Cola officials hold a news conference to announce that original Coke is coming back after consumers overwhelmingly rejected its replacement by New Coke. The original formula is renamed Coca-Cola Classic.

Musical Milestones

1951 – Legendary disc jockey Alan Freed (a.k.a. “Moondog”) starts his new job spinning records for a rhythm and blues show on radio station WJW in Cleveland. With his unprecedented on-air mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues songs, Freed is credited with coining the term “rock ‘n roll.”

1969 – David Bowie releases “Space Oddity,” which soars to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.”

1970 – The “Woodstock” soundtrack hits the top of the Billboard album chart and remains there for four weeks.

1970 – The No. 1 single in the U.S. is “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” by Three Dog Night. The song, written by Randy Newman, holds the top spot for two weeks.

1987 – “Alone,” by Heart, kicks off three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the sibling duo’s biggest hit in the U.S.

1992 – “Baby Got Back,” by American rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot, is in the midst of five weeks as a No. 1 single.

1998 – Brandy and Monica are in the middle of a 13-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “The Boy is Mine.”

2009 – The Black Eyed Peas kick off 14 weeks on top of the U.S. singles chart with “I Gotta Feeling,” the longest-running No. 1 single of 2009. The song is goes on to win a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.