African American – Time Rewind

On This Day April 29

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On This Day April 15

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Celebrity Birthdays

1452 – Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci (d. 1519)

1933 – Country music singer-guitarist and former “Hee Haw” host Roy Clark (d. 2018)

1933 – Actress Elizabeth Montgomery (“Bewitched”) (d. 1995)

1951 – “Hints From Heloise” columnist Heloise Bowles Cruse (d. 1977)

1959 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Emma Thompson (“Howard’s End,” “The Remains of the Day,” “In the Name of the Father,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Nanny McPhee,” “Saving Mr. Banks”)

1982 – Actor Seth Rogen (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” “Superbad,” “Funny People,” “This Is The End,” “The Long Shot”, “The Disaster Artist”)

1990 – Actress Emma Watson, best known for playing Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” movie series and Belle in the live-action adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast”

History Highlights

1865 – President Abraham Lincoln dies from the gunshot wound he sustained the night before while watching a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln’s death comes only six days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his massive army, effectively ending the American Civil War.

1912 – More than 1,500 lives are lost in the early morning hours when the luxury liner Titanic sinks after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City.

1947 – Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American in baseball’s major leagues when he debuts with the Brooklyn Dodgers. This becomes a landmark event not only for the sport, but for the U.S. civil rights movement.

1955 – The golden arches rise in Des Plaines, Illinois with the opening of the first McDonald’s restaurant. Customers pay just 15 cents for a hamburger. The restaurant is built for drive-through service only, with indoor seating eventually added in 1962.

1959 – Four months after leading a successful revolution in Cuba, Fidel Castro begins an 11-day U.S. visit. It comes amid escalating tensions between his regime and the American government.

1997 – On the 50 anniversary of his first Major League Baseball game, the league retires Jackie Robinson’s number, 42. Robinson becomes the only player in MLB history to have his number retired across all teams, a sign of the reverence with which he is regarded decades after leading the charge to integrate the major leagues.

2013 – Two bombs go off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three spectators and wounding more than 260 others. Four days later, after an intense manhunt, authorities capture one of the bombing suspects, 19-year-old Dzhohkar Tsarnaev. His older brother and fellow suspect, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, dies following a shootout with police earlier that same day.

Musical Milestones

1967 – Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy start a four-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with “Somethin’ Stupid.” They are the only father-daughter act to ever score a chart-topping single.

1972 – Roberta Flack begins a six-week reign over the singles chart with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” The track garners her Grammy Awards for Record and Song of the Year.

1978 – “Night Fever,” by the Bee Gees, blazes through a fifth week on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The disco smash, from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack, remains a chart-topper for nine weeks.

1989 – “She Drives Me Crazy” by the Fine Young Cannibals is the No. 1 single. The song, from the band’s “The Raw & the Cooked” album, holds the top spot for a week.

1995 – One-hit-wonder Montell Jordan kicks off seven weeks on top of the pop chart with “This Is How We Do It.”

2000 – “Maria Maria,” by Santana featuring The Product G&B, is in the second of 10 weeks as a chart-reigning single. The track, off the “Supernatural” album, goes on to won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

2006 – Daniel Powter is in the middle of five weeks on top of the singles chart with “Bad Day.”

On This Day February 5

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Celebrity Birthdays

1919 – Comedian-actor-TV host Red Buttons (d. 2006)

1934 – Retired Major League Baseball superstar Hank Aaron, who was first to break Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs

1942 – Retired Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach

1948 – Actress Barbara Hershey (“Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Beaches,” “Falling Down,” “Black Swan”)

1948 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Tom Wilkinson (“The Full Monty,” “In the Bedroom,” “Michael Clayton,” “Duplicity,” “The Debt,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”)

1948 – Actor, screenwriter and director Christopher Guest (“This is Spinal Tap,” “The Princess Bride,” “Waiting for Guffman”)

1962 – Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh (“Single White Female,” “Dolores Claiborne,” “The Hateful Eight”)

1964 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Laura Linney (“Kinsey,” “Primal Fear,” “The Truman Show,” “Wild Iris, “Frasier,” “John Adams”)

History Highlights

1937 – President Franklin Roosevelt announces a controversial plan to expand the Supreme Court, allegedly to make it more efficient. Critics accuse him of trying to “pack” the court to neutralize those justices hostile to his New Deal.

1971 – Apollo 14’s lunar module, the Antares, touches down on the surface of the moon in the region known as Fra Mauro, the intended landing site of the aborted Apollo 13 mission. While on the moon, Commander Alan Shepard practices his golf swing by hitting two balls.

1972 – Bob Douglas (1882-1979), considered the “Father of Black Professional Basketball,” becomes the first African American elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

1988 – Two federal grand juries in Florida announce the indictments of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and 16 associates on drug smuggling and money laundering charges.

1993 – Just two weeks after his inauguration, President Bill Clinton signs the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). It grants workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in order to recover from a serious medical condition, provide care for a seriously ill family member or care for a new child.

1994 – White supremacist Byron De La Beckwith is convicted in the murder of African-American civil rights leader Medgar Evers more than 30 years after the crime occurred.

Musical Milestones

1955 – Billboard magazine ranks “Hearts of Stone,” by the New Jersey trio The Fontane Sisters, the best-selling single in the U.S.

1957 – Way before the British Invasion, an American invasion is underway, as adoring fans welcome Bill Haley and His Comets of “Rock Around the Clock” fame to the U.K.

1966 – Petula Clark’s “My Love” is the No. 1 single. The track is Clark’s second chart-topper following her breakthrough hit, “Downtown.” She becomes the first British female artist to score two U.S. No. 1s.

1972 – Paul Simon’s first solo recording since the Simon & Garfunkel split, “Mother And Child Reunion,” is released and eventually climbs as high as No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1977 – “Torn Between Two Lovers” puts Mary MacGregor on top of the singles chart.

1983 – “Africa” becomes Toto’s first and only No. 1 single in the U.S. The track is from the band’s “Toto IV” album, which also contains the Top 5 hit “Rosanna.”

2000 – Australian pop duo Savage Garden is in the midst of a three-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Knew I Loved You.”

On This Day January 26

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Celebrity Birthdays

1925 – Oscar-winning actor and race car driver Paul Newman (“The Hustler,” “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Verdict,” “The Color of Money,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “Road to Perdition”) (d. 2008)

1941 – Actor Scott Glenn (“Urban Cowboy,” “The Right Stuff,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Backdraft,” “Training Day,” “The Bourne Ultimatum”)

1955 – Legendary rock guitarist and songwriter Eddie Van Halen of the band Van Halen (“Hot for Teacher”, “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love”, “Jump”, “Panama”) (d. 2020)

1958 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Anita Baker (“Sweet Love,” “Just Because”)

1958 – Emmy-winning TV host, comedian, actress and LGBTQ advocate Ellen DeGeneres

1961 – Retired hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who played for four teams during 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL)

History Highlights

1788 – Britain’s First Fleet sails into Sydney Harbor and begins the European colonization of Australia. The fledgling colony marks this event each year as Australia Day, however in recent years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have objected because they see the occasion as the beginning of the deliberate destruction of their people and culture.

1905 – A 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa. Weighing 1.33 pounds, it is the largest diamond ever found, and is named the Cullinan after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine.

1926 – Scottish inventor John Logie Baird gives the first public demonstration of a true television system (called a “televisor”) in London, launching a revolution in communication and entertainment.

1950 – The Republic of India is formed as the Indian constitution takes effect.

1961 – President John F. Kennedy appoints Janet Travell, 59, as his personal physician, making her the first woman in history to hold that post.

1979 – The General Lee, a bright orange Dodge Charger with a Confederate flag on its roof, kicks up dust clouds as “The Dukes of Hazzard” premieres on CBS.

1988 – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” has its first Broadway performance at the Majestic Theatre.

1998 – During one of the most memorable news conferences of his presidency, Bill Clinton tells reporters, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” Clinton later confesses that he did indeed have an “improper physical relationship” with Monica Lewinksky, a 24-year-old White House intern.

2005 – Condoleezza Rice assumes the post of U.S. Secretary of State two months after her nomination by President George W. Bush. She becomes the highest ranking African American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Musical Milestones

1963 – The Rooftop Singers stroll to the top of the singles chart with “Walk Right In.”

1970 – Phil Spector and John Lennon write and record Lennon’s “Instant Karma” in one day. It lands on the Billboard pop chart 33 days later, eventually climbing to No. 3.

1974 – “You’re Sixteen” by Ringo Starr is the No. 1 single. The song is from the ex-Beatle’s “Ringo” album, which also contains the hits “Photograph” and “Oh My My.”

1980 – Prince makes his television premiere with an appearance on “American Bandstand.” He shyly answers questions from host Dick Clark, beginning with “How did you learn to do this in Minneapolis?”

1985 – Madonna wraps up six weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with her first No. 1 single, “Like a Virgin.”

1991 – Surface kicks off two weeks atop the pop chart with “The First Time.” It is the last time the New Jersey trio has a No. 1 single.

2002 – “U Got It Bad,” by Usher, is in the midst of a five-week ride on top of the singles chart.

On This Day December 26

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Celebrity Birthdays

1914 – Golden Globe-winning actor Richard Widmark (“Kiss of Death,” “No Way Out,” “Don’t Bother to Knock”) (d. 2008)

1921 – Entertainer Steve Allen, first host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” who was a prolific comedian, composer, actor, author and TV host during a nearly five-decade career (d. 2000)

1927 – Comedian-actor Alan King (d. 2004)

1933 – Puppeteer Caroll Spinney, the talent behind the “Sesame Street” characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch (d. 2019)

1939 – Grammy-winning record producer-songwriter and convicted murderer Phil Spector

1947 – Major League Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk

1956 – Humorist-comedian-author David Sedaris (“SantaLand Diaries,” “Naked,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “When You Are Engulfed in Flames”)

1971 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor and musician Jared Leto (“Girl, Interrupted,” “American Psycho,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Panic Room,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Suicide Squad”)

1979 – Rock singer-songwriter-guitarist Chris Daughtry, whose music career was launched by a fourth-place finish on “American Idol”

History Highlights

1898 – In a landmark moment for chemistry and physics, French scientists Pierre and Marie Curie publish a paper announcing their discovery of the element of radium (Ra). The groundbreaking discovery later garners the husband and wife team the Nobel Prize.

1946 – Mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opens the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, aiming to establish a stylish and cosmopolitan gambling destination in the Nevada desert. Siegel closes the resort just two weeks later due to lackluster business, and the following June, he is killed in a mob hit. After undergoing multiple ownership changes through the years, the Flamingo is still in operation as the oldest casino on the Vegas Strip.

1966 – Kwanzaa is observed for the first time. The seven-day holiday with strong African roots was designed by Dr. Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University at Long Beach, as a celebration of African American family, community and culture.

1972 – Harry S. Truman, the 33rd U.S. president, dies in Independence, Missouri at the age of 88.

1973 – “The Exorcist” opens in movie theaters across the U.S., terrifying audiences and establishing a new standard for the horror genre. Based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name, the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning movie is about a girl, played by Linda Blair, that is possessed by an evil spirit.

1974 – Cancer claims the life of beloved comedian Jack Benny at the age of 80.

1982 – TIME magazine breaks from tradition when the magazine’s editors replace the annual “Man of the Year” cover story with “Machine of the Year” and profile the personal computer.

1996 – Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey is found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado home. Her murder becomes the focus one of most intensive and publicized police investigations in U.S. history and remains unsolved to this day.

Musical Milestones

1964 – The Beatles score their sixth No. 1 single of the year as “I Feel Fine” kicks off three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The song is the Fab Four’s 29th to make the charts in 1964.

1970 – “My Sweet Lord,” by George Harrison, kicks off four weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and makes Harrison the first ex-Beatle to reach No. 1 as a solo act.

1981 – Olivia Newton-John begins her sixth week reigning over the pop chart with “Physical,” which remains at No. 1 for the first four weeks of 1982.

1987 – The “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack is the middle of a nine-week reign as the No. 1 album. It becomes one of the best-selling albums of all time.

1992 – Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” enters its fifth week on top of the Billboard Hot 100. The track continues to hold the top spot for the first nine weeks of 1993.

1998 – “I’m Your Angel.” by R. Kelly and Céline Dion, is in the middle of a six-week run on top of the singles chart.

1999 – Soul, R&B and funk singer-songwriter Curtis Mayfield, best known for his acclaimed 1972 “Super Fly” soundtrack,” dies at the age of 57. Mayfield — a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee — was a member of The Impressions before embarking on a solo career.

2009 – The Jay-Z/Alicia Keys duet, “Empire State of Mind,” is in its fifth and final week as a No. 1 single.

On This Day December 10

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Celebrity Birthdays

1830 – Poet Emily Dickinson (d. 1886)

1922 – Writer Agnes Nixon, the creative force behind groundbreaking soap operas “One Life to Live” and “All My Children,” which introduced social awareness to daytime television (d. 2016)

1952 – Actress Susan Dey (“The Partridge Family,” “L.A. Law”)

1957 – Actor Michael Clarke Duncan (“The Green Mile,” “The Whole Nine Yards”) (d. 2012)

1960 – Emmy-winning actor-director Kenneth Branagh (“Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Hamlet,” “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “As You Like It,” “Thor,” “My Week with Marilyn,” “Dunkirk,” “Murder on the Orient Express”)

1961 – Singer-actress Nia Peeples (“Fame,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” “Pretty Little Liars”)

1964 – Celebrity chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay

1985 – Actress-singer Raven-Symoné, born Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman (“The Cosby Show,” “That’s So Raven,” “The Cheetah Girls”)

History Highlights

1898 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Spanish-American War. It effectively dissolves the Spanish empire with the United States taking over much of Spain’s overseas holdings. Puerto Rico and Guam are ceded to the U.S., the Philippines is purchased for $20 million, and Cuba becomes a U.S. protectorate.

1901 – The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. Named after Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prize is still considered the most prestigious international honor. Notable winners throughout the years have included Marie Curie, Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others.

1907 – An American scientist wins the Nobel Peace Prize for the first time. It’s University of Chicago physics professor Albert Michelson, known for his research into the speed of light and optics.

1950 – Diplomat, scholar and activist Dr. Ralph Bunche, a key member of the United Nations for more than two decades, becomes the first African-American awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation efforts between Israel and neighboring Arab states in the late 1940s.

1999 – “The Cider House Rules,” starring Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron and Michael Caine, opens in movie theaters. Oscars go to Caine for Best Supporting Actor and John Irving for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Musical Milestones

1927 – The Grand Ole Opry produces its first radio broadcast from Nashville, Tennessee.

1966 – The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love, tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a week. Costing about $60,000 to produce, it is the most expensive pop song ever recorded up to that time.

1967 – Soul legend Otis Redding dies in a Wisconsin plane crash three days after recording his biggest hit, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” He is just 26 years old.

1967 – Doors frontman Jim Morrison becomes the first rock star arrested on stage during a performance. It happens in New Haven, Connecticut. Following a backstage altercation with a police officer that maced him, Morrison taunts police during his set and is taken into custody. Angry fans riot.

1977 – Debby Boone continues to light up the pop chart with “You Light Up My Life,” which begins its ninth out of 10 weeks as a No. 1 single.

1983 – “Say Say Say,” by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, starts a six-week hold on the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

1994 – Boyz II Men dominate the pop chart for a second straight week with “On Bended Knee.”

On This Day December 5

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Celebrity Birthdays

1901 – Animator, voice actor and producer Walt Disney, born Walter Elias Disney, who founded The Walt Disney Company and created the iconic character Mickey Mouse (d. 1966)

1932 – Rock and Roll legend Little Richard, born Richard Wayne Penniman (“Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly Miss Molly”)

1947 – Singer-songwriter Jim Messina (Loggins & Messina)

1968 – Comedian, actress, producer and writer Margaret Cho

1985 – “Malcolm in the Middle” star and race car driver Frankie Muniz

History Highlights

1933 – Fourteen years of Prohibition in the U.S. ends with ratification of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which repeals the 18th Amendment.

1945 – A squadron of U.S. Navy bombers, collectively known as “Flight 19,” mysteriously vanishes in the Bermuda Triangle — a section of ocean between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. A rescue aircraft also disappears during an attempt to locate the missing team. Despite countless theories throughout the years, there still is no definitive explanation for what happened to the six aircraft and 27 airmen aboard.

1955 – After 20 years of rivalry, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge to become the AFL-CIO.

1955 – The Montgomery (Alabama) Bus Boycott begins, following the arrest of black bus passenger Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. The boycott lasts more than a year until a U.S. Supreme Court decision requires integration of Montgomery’s public transportation system.

1978 – In an effort to prop up an unpopular pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union signs a “friendship treaty” with the Afghan government, agreeing to provide economic and military assistance.

1984 – “Beverly Hills Cop” opens, starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a Detroit detective who heads to Beverly Hills, California to solve the murder of his best friend.

Musical Milestones

1960 – Elvis Presley tops the singles chart with “Are You Lonesome Tonight.”

1964 – Actor Lorne Greene, beloved star of TV’s “Bonanza,” achieves musical success when his song, “Ringo,” lands on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and holds there for a week.

1973 – Paul McCartney releases “Band On The Run,” his fifth album since the breakup of The Beatles. It spawns two hit singles: “Jet” and “Band on the Run.”

1987 – Former Go-Gos lead singer Belinda Carlisle enjoys her first and only No. 1 single as a solo act: “Heaven is a Place on Earth.”

1992 – Grammy-winning pop legend Whitney Houston rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Will Always Love You,” a song written and originally recorded by country music legend Dolly Parton in 1973.

1998 – “I’m Your Angel,” by R. Kelly and Céline Dion kicks off six weeks as a No. 1 single.

2009 – Jay-Z and Alicia Keys own the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Empire State of Mind.” The single holds at No. 1 for five weeks and becomes the last chart-topper of the 2000s.

On This Day November 5

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Celebrity Birthdays

1911 – American singer, cowboy and actor Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye and known as the “King of the Cowboys” (d. 1998)

1913 – Actress Vivian Leigh (“Gone With the Wind,” “A Streetcar Named Desire”) (d. 1967)

1931 – R&B singer-songwriter Ike Turner who had a string of hits with then-wife Tina Turner (d. 2007)

1940 – Golden Globe-winning actress Elke Sommer (“The Prize,” “A Shot in the Dark,” “The Art of Love,” “The Oscar,” “Boy, Did I Get the Wrong Number”)

1941 – Singer-songwriter Art Garfunkel, formerly of the Grammy-winning rock-folk duo Simon & Garfunkel

1943 – Pulitzer Prize-winning actor and playwright Sam Shepard (“Days of Heaven,” “Paris, Texas,” “The Right Stuff,” “Country,” “Steel Magnolias”) (d. 2017)

1947 – Peter Noone, born Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone, frontman for the 1960s British pop group Herman’s Hermits

1959 – Grammy-winning rock singer-songwriter Bryan Adams (“Cuts Like a Knife,” “Summer of ’69,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”)

1960 – Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton (“Edward II,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Michael Clayton,” “Burn After Reading,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Doctor Strange”)

1963 – Oscar-winning actress Tatum O’Neal (“Paper Moon,” “The Bad News Bears,” “Nickelodeon,” “Little Darlings”)

1968 – Actor Sam Rockwell (“The Green Mile,” “Galaxy Quest” “Iron Man 2,” “Cowboys & Aliens,” “A Single Shot”)

History Highlights

1912 – Democrat Woodrow Wilson is elected the 28th president of the United States in a landslide victory, defeating Republican incumbent William Howard Taft and Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt. It is the only presidential election in American history in which two former presidents were defeated by another candidate.

1940 – Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt is re-elected for an unprecedented third term as president of the United States. He is re-elected again in 1944, which paves the way for ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1951, limiting all future presidents to two elected terms.

1968 – Republican Richard Nixon wins the presidential election, defeating Vice President Hubert Humphrey in one of the closest political races in U.S. history.

1968 – New York Democrat Shirley Chisholm becomes the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress. She serves for 14 years. In 1972, she becomes the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president of the United States from one of the two major political parties.

1994 – Forty-five-year-old George Foreman knocks out 26-year-old Michael Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champion in the history of boxing. More than 12,000 spectators at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas watch Foreman dethrone Moorer, who entered the fight with a 35-0 record.

2007 – A writers strike in New York and Los Angeles interrupts the production of more than 60 television shows and results in the loss of an estimated $3 billion to the LA economy alone. The walkout, by members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), lasts more than three months.

2009 – Thirteen people are killed and more than 30 others are wounded, nearly all of them unarmed soldiers, when a U.S. Army officer goes on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood in central Texas. The deadly assault, carried out by Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, becomes the worst mass murder at a U.S. military installation.

Musical Milestones

1956 – “The Nat King Cole Show” debuts on NBC as the first network TV series hosted by an African-American. The musical variety show, featuring some of the biggest entertainers of the day, begins as a 15-minute program and eventually expands to half an hour. Thirteen months later, NBC pulls the plug after being unable to find a national sponsor.

1960 – Country-rockabilly artist Johnny Horton, whose Grammy-winning “Battle of New Orleans” topped the singles charts for six weeks in 1959, dies in a car crash.

1966 – The Monkees rule the singles chart for a week with “Last Train to Clarksville.” The track is featured in seven episodes of “The Monkees” TV show, the most for any Monkees song.

1977 – “You Light Up My Life,” by Debby Boone, is in the midst of a 10-week domination of the pop chart.

1988 – “Kokomo,” by The Beach Boys, is No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. The track is from the movie “Cocktail,” starring Tom Cruise.

1989 – Grammy-winning classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz dies at the age of 86.

1994 – Boyz II Men are in the midst of a 14-week conquest of the Billboard Hot 100 with “I’ll Make Love to You.”

2005 – “Gold Digger,” by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx, is a Billboard chart-topper, and remains there for 10 weeks.

On This Day September 21

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Celebrity Birthdays

1866 – Author H. G. Wells (“The Time Machine,” “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” “The Invisible Man,” “The War of the Worlds”) (d. 1946)

1931 – Actor Larry Hagman, best known for his role as villainous Texas oil tycoon J.R. Ewing in CBS’ hit series “Dallas” (d. 2012)

1934 – Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, known for his poetic lyrics, iconic songs and baritone voice (d. 2016)

1943 – Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“Beverly Hills Cop,” “Flashdance,” “Top Gun,” “The Rock,” “Con Air,” “Armageddon,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “National Treasure”)

1947 – Award-winning horror, science fiction, and suspense novelist Stephen King (“Carrie,” “The Shining,” “The Stand,” “Misery,” “The Dark Tower”)

1950 – Emmy-winning actor-comedian Bill Murray (“Saturday Night Live,” “Caddyshack,” “Stripes,” “Ghostbusters,” “Groundhog Day,” “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Lost in Translation,” “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” “Hyde Park on Hudson,” “St. Vincent”)

1957 – Writer-producer Ethan Coen of the Coen Brothers (“Raising Arizona,” “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “Fargo, “The Big Lebowski,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Hail, Caesar!”)

1967 – Grammy-winning country music singer Faith Hill (“Wild One,” “Piece of My Heart,” “This Kiss,” “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me”)

1968 – Actress and talk show host Ricki Lake (“Hairspray,” “Ricki Lake”)

1971 – Actor Luke Wilson (“Idiocracy,” “Old School,” “Bottle Rocket,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Blue Streak,” “Bongwater,” “Legally Blonde”)

History Highlights

1780 – Revolutionary War hero Benedict Arnold turns his back on his country during a secret meeting with British Major John Andre. The two discuss Arnold’s handing over West Point to the British in exchange for a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. The scheme is exposed and Arnold instantly goes from American patriot to traitor.

1970 – “Monday Night Football” premieres on ABC with Howard Cosell, Don Meredith and Keith Jackson.

1981 – The U.S. Senate unanimously confirms Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female Supreme Court justice. Considered a moderate conservative, O’Connor serves for 24 years.

1989 – U.S. Army General Colin Powell is confirmed by the Senate Armed Services Committee as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell becomes the first African American to achieve the nation’s highest military post.

2003 – After a 14-year mission studying Jupiter and its moons, the Galileo space probe is destroyed by NASA engineers to protect a possible ocean beneath the icy crust of the moon Europa.

Musical Milestones

1961 – Robert Allen Zimmerman enters a New York City recording studio and, after spending $400, emerges with a completed LP. Columbia Records goes on to release his self-titled album—”Bob Dylan.”

1963 – Bobby Vinton sees early success in his musical career as “Blue Velvet” reaches No. 1 on the singles chart and stays there for three weeks.

1966 – Jimi Hendrix changes the spelling of his first name from J-I-M-M-Y to J-I-M-I.

1968 – One-hit-wonder Jeannie C. Riley owns the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Harper Valley PTA.” The country-pop crossover also topped the Billboard Country chart.

1974 – Barry White grabs hold of the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week with “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe.”

1985 – Heavy exposure on MTV helps Dire Straits reach No. 1 on the singles chart with “Money for Nothing.” The track, which features Sting on background vocals, holds the top spot for three weeks.

2002 – Dilemma,” by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland, is in the middle of a seven-week ride atop the pop chart.

On this Day August 30

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Celebrity Birthdays

1898 – Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning actress Shirley Booth (“Come Back, Little Sheba,” “Hazel,” “The Glass Menagerie”) (d. 1992)

1908 – Actor Fred MacMurray (“Double Indemnity,” “My Three Sons”) (d. 1991)

1918 – Baseball legend Ted Williams (d. 2002)

1924 – Fashion designer Geoffrey Beene (d. 2004)

1927 – Actor Bill Daily (“I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Bob Newhart Show”) (d. 2018)

1930 – Investment guru and philanthropist Warren Buffett, a.k.a. “The Oracle of Omaha”

1939 – Tony-winning actress Elizabeth Ashley (“Take Her, She’s Mine,” “The Carpetbaggers,” “Evening Shade”)

1946 – Actress Peggy Lipton (“The Mod Squad,” “Twin Peaks,” “The Postman”) (d. 2019)

1948 – Grammy-winning comedian Lewis Black (“The Daily Show,” “Black on Broadway,” “Red, White, and Screwed,” “The Carnegie Hall Performance”)

1954 – Actor David Paymer (“Mr. Saturday Night,” “Quiz Show,” “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” “City Slickers,” “Crazy People,” “Get Shorty,” “The American President,” “Ocean’s Thirteen,” “Drag Me to Hell”)

1963 – Actor Michael Chiklis (“The Commish,” “The Shield,” “Fantastic Four,” “Vegas,” “American Horror Story”)

1966 – Actress Michael Michele (“ER,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Ali,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”)

1972 – Actress Cameron Diaz (“The Mask,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Being John Malkovich,” the “Charlie’s Angels” movies, the animated “Shrek” movies,” “Vanilla Sky,” “The Other Woman,” “Sex Tape,” “Annie”)

1982 – Tennis great Andy Roddick

History Highlights

1918 – Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is shot twice by a member of the Social Revolutionary party, but survives the attack. The attempted assassination triggers a wave of reprisals by Bolsheviks against the Social Revolutionaries and other political opponents. Thousands are executed as Russia falls deeper into civil war.

1963 – A “hotline” linking Moscow and Washington, D.C. is activated to provide instant communication between the Superpowers in case nuclear weapons are accidentally launched. The system consists of a cable with a device resembling a large typewriter on either end.

1965 – New York Mets Manager Casey Stengel announces his retirement, ending a 56-year career in professional baseball.

1967 – The U.S. Senate confirms Thurgood Marshall as the first African American justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In nominating Marshall to the nation’s highest court, President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “It was the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place.” Marshall serves 24 years on the high court before retiring in 1991.

1976 – Tom Brokaw becomes news anchor of NBC’s “Today” show. where he remains for six years. He leaves in 1982 to co-anchor “NBC Nightly News” with Roger Mudd, taking over as sole anchor in 1983 and remaining in that post until 2004.

1983 – U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Guion “Guy” Bluford becomes the first African American to travel into space when the space shuttle Challenger lifts off on its third mission. In 2010, Bluford is inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.

2003 – Actor Charles Bronson, best known for his tough-guy roles in movies like “The Dirty Dozen” and the “Death Wish” franchise, dies at the age of 81 in Los Angeles.

Musical Milestones

1969 – The Rolling Stones rule the Billboard Hot 100 with “Honky Tonk Women.” The single was released in the UK the day after the death of founding member Brian Jones, with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” on the B-side. It ends up topping the charts in seven countries, including the band’s native UK, where it becomes their last No. 1.

1975 – “Get Down Tonight,” by KC and The Sunshine Band, struts its way to No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. It’s the first of five consecutive chart-toppers for the band that hails from Hialeah, Florida.

1980 – “Sailing,” by Christopher Cross, is the hottest single. It goes on to capture Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Arrangement of the Year, and helps Cross capture the Best New Artist award.

1986 – Steve Winwood has the No. 1 single with “Higher Love,” off his “Back in the High Life” album.

1997 – “Mo Money Mo Problems,” by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase, kicks off two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100. It becomes Notorious B.I.G.’s second posthumous chart-topper following “Hypnotize.”