On This Day: January 30

On This Day January 30

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1882 – Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), 32nd U.S. president (d. 1945)

1930 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor Gene Hackman (“The French Connection,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Superman,” “Reds,” “Unforgiven,” “The Firm,” “Crimson Tide,” “Get Shorty,” “The Royal Tenenbaums”)

1937 – Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “Julia,” “The Bostonians,” “Mrs. Dalloway,” “Howard’s End,” “Girl, Interrupted”)

1941 – Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who previously served as Defense Secretary under President George H. W. Bush

1951 – Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Phil Collins, formerly of the rock band Genesis (“In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” “One More Night,” “Sussudio,” “Two Hearts,” “Another Day in Paradise”)

1974 – Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale (“Empire of the Sun,” “American Psycho,” “The Machinist,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Fighter,” “American Hustle,” “The Big Short,” “Vice”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1933 – Adolf Hitler is appointed and sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.

1933 – “The Lone Ranger” debuts on Detroit radio station WXYZ, introducing listeners to the legendary “masked rider of the plains.” The show remains on Detroit radio until the mid 1940s. The three main actors who played the Lone Ranger were George Seaton (in 1933), Earle Graser (1933-1941), and Brace Beemer (1941-1954).

1948 – Mohandas Gandhi (also known as Mahatma Gandhi), the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement and a global advocate for non-violent civil disobedience, is assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu fanatic.

1956 – Civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s home is bombed by an unidentified white supremacist in retaliation for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. No one is injured, and shortly after the attack, King preaches non-violence to a crowd that had gathered near the site of the blast.

1972 – In Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 13 unarmed civil rights demonstrators are shot and killed by British Army paratroopers in an event that becomes known as “Bloody Sunday.” The protesters, all Northern Catholics, were marching in opposition to the British policy of internment of suspected Irish nationalists.

1994 – American speed skater Dan Jansen sets a new world record of 35.76 at the World Sprint Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1961 – “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” by The Shirelles, begins two weeks on top of the pop chart. Co-written by legendary singer-songwriter Carole King, the recording is the first by an African American girl group to reach No. 1.

1969 – The Beatles entertain for the last time in public when they play a free rooftop concert above the London headquarters of Apple Records. Throngs of passersby gather below to take in the music.

1973 – Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss make their first appearance as KISS at the Popcorn Pub in Queens, New York (later known as Coventry). About 10 guests attend and, according to Simmons, the band earned $50 for playing two sets.

1982 – “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” by Daryl Hall & John Oates, becomes the duo’s fourth single to top the Billboard Hot 100.

1988 – The Australian rock band INXS rules the singles chart for a week with “Need You Tonight.” The track, from the “Kick” album, is the group’s only No. 1 in the U.S.

1999 – Britney Spears kicks off two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “…Baby One More Time,” her debut single.

2010 – Ke$ha is in the midst of a nine-week reign over the pop chart with “Tik Tok.”

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On This Day: November 1

On This Day November 1

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1942 – Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt (d. 2021)

1949 – Grammy-winning record producer David Foster, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Alice Cooper, Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Rod Stewart and Barbra Streisand

1957 – Grammy-winning Texas singer-songwriter and actor Lyle Lovett, born Lyle Pearce

1972 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Toni Collette (“Muriel’s Wedding,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Hereditary,” “United States of Tara”)

1972 – Playboy model-turned-actress-TV host Jenny McCarthy (“The Jenny McCarthy Show,” “Love in the Wild,” “The View”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1512 – The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, one of Italian artist Michelangelo’s finest works, is exhibited to the public for the first time.

1952 – The U.S. detonates the world’s first thermonuclear weapon, the hydrogen bomb, on an island in the Pacific. The test is code-named “Mike.” The blast generates a three-mile-wide fireball, destroys the island and kills wildlife on nearby islands.

1971 – The U.S. Mint produces the first Eisenhower dollar coins.

1979 – First Lady Mamie Eisenhower dies just a couple of weeks shy of her 83rd birthday.

1982 – Honda becomes the first Asian automaker to produce cars in the United States when it opens a factory in Marysville, Ohio. Honda’s flagship vehilce, the Accord, is the first model to roll off the assembly line.

1993 – The European Union (EU) officially takes effect, made up of 12 nations: Great Britain, France, Germany, the Irish Republic, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Austria, Finland and Sweden become EU members in 1995.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1956 – Elvis Presley buys a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle and takes actress Natalie Wood on a nearly three-hour ride around Memphis on it.

1968 – The first solo recording by a Beatle is released. It’s George Harrison’s “Wonderwall Music” — the first Apple Records production. The album is the soundtrack to Joe Massot’s movie “Wonderwall,” and consists primarily of Indian-influenced instrumentals, featuring Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr.

1969 – Elvis Presley makes a brief comeback with “Suspicious Minds,” the most popular song in the U.S. on this day and The King’s last No. 1 hit.

1975 – Elton John rules the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks with “Island Girl,” off his “Rock of the Westies” album. Coincidentally, the single bumps Neil Sedaka’s “Bad Blood,” a song in which EJ provides backup vocals.

1980 – “The River” becomes Bruce Springsteen’s first No. 1 album. Containing the hit “Hungry Heart,” it remains on top of the Billboard album chart for four weeks. 

1986 – Cyndi Lauper begins her second and final week at No. 1 with “True Colors.”

1997 – Elton John’s rewritten and re-recorded version of his 1973 single “Candle in The Wind” is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was released on September 13, 1997 as a tribute to Princess Diana, who died two weeks earlier in a Paris car crash.

2003 – “Baby Boy,” by Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul, is in the middle of nine weeks as a No. 1 single.

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On this Day: May 13

On this Day May 13

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1914 – Former World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis (d. 1981)

1922 – Emmy and Tony-winning actress Bea Arthur (“Maude,” “The Golden Girls”) (d. 2009)

1939 – Actor Harvey Keitel (“Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Bad Lieutenant,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction”)

1950 – Grammy-winning Motown prodigy Stevie Wonder (“Fingertips – Pt. 2,” “Superstition,” “You Are The Sunshine of My Life,” “Sir Duke,” “Isn’t She Lovely?”)

1961 – Retired NBA star Dennis Rodman

1964 – Comedian, political satirist and CBS “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert

1986 – Actor Robert Pattinson, best known for his role as vampire Edward Cullen in the film adaptations of the “Twilight” novels and as Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 2022 movie, “The Batman”

History Highlights
History Highlights

1607 – More than 100 English colonists arrive along the west bank of the James River in Virginia to found Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

1846 – The U.S. Congress overwhelmingly votes in favor of President James Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas.

1958 – A new concept for fastening material sticks as a trademark is registered for Velcro, technically referred to as a “hook and loop fastener.” It’s the brainchild of Swiss engineer George de Mestral.

1981 – Shots ring out in Rome as Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca opens fire on Pope John Paul II when he passes through St. Peter’s Square in an open car. The pontiff is seriously injured, but recovers from his wounds and is released from the hospital three weeks later.

1985 – After a lengthy standoff, Philadelphia police drop a bomb on the row house occupied by the radical group MOVE. The bombing sparks a fire that kills 11 people, including five children, and destroys 61 homes.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1967 – “The Happening, by The Supremes, tops the singles chart, becoming the Motown trio’s 10th No. 1 hit.

1970 – New York City hosts the premiere of The Beatles’ film “Let It Be.” The movie documents the Fab Four rehearsing and recording songs for their 12th and final studio album of the same name.  It includes footage from the famous Apple Records rooftop concert in London — the band’s final public performance.

1972 – Roberta Flack maintains her six-week hold on the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”

1978 – Yvonne Elliman has the hottest single with “If I Can’t Have You,” a song featured in the film “Saturday Night Fever.”

1989 – “I’ll Be There for You,” off Bon Jovi’s “New Jersey” album, is ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1995 – Montell Jordan lays claim to the top spot on the singles chart with “This Is How We Do It.”

2000 – “Maria Maria,” by Santana featuring The Product G&B, is in the midst of a 10-week ride on top of the Billboard singles chart.

2006 – Rihanna kicks off three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “SOS.”

2008 – The U.S. Postal Service issues a 42-cent stamp in honor of legendary entertainer Frank Sinatra.

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