On This Day: November 11

On This Day November 11

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays
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
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
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.

READ MORE
On this Day: June 8

On this Day June 8

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1867 – Architect Frank Lloyd Wright (d. 1959)

1918 – Actor Robert Preston (“The Music Man,” “Victor Victoria,” “The Last Starfighter”) (d. 1987)

1925 – Former First Lady Barbara Bush (d. 2018)

1927 – Comedian-actor Jerry Stiller, best known for his roles in the sitcoms “Seinfeld” and “The King of Queens” and for the Stiller & Meara comedy routines with his late wife, Anne Meara (d. 2020)

1933 – Comedian-TV host Joan Rivers (d. 2014)

1940 – Singer-actress Nancy Sinatra (“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” “Somethin’ Stupid,” “Sugar Town”)

1944 – Singer-songwriter Boz Skaggs (“Lowdown,” “Lido Shuffle”)

1966 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Julianna Margulies (“ER,” “The Sopranos,” “The Good Wife”)

1977 – Grammy-winning rapper-music producer Kanye West

History Highlights
History Highlights

1949 – An FBI report names Hollywood figures, including film stars Frederic March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson as members of the Communist Party.

1966 – The rival National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) announce plans to merge. The first “Super Bowl” between the two leagues is held at the end of the 1966 season, though it takes until the 1970 season for the leagues to unite their operations and integrate their regular season schedules.

1968 – James Earl Ray is arrested in London and questioned by authorities in connection with the murder of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. three months earlier.

1968 – The body of Senator Robert Kennedy is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery three days after his assassination.

1984 – “Ghostbusters” opens in U.S. movie theaters, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film grosses $242 million in the U.S. and more than $295 million worldwide, is nominated for two Oscars and becomes an 80s cinematic classic.

2001 – Tropical Storm Allison makes a second pass over the Houston, Texas area, dumping more than three feet of rain in some neighborhoods, causing deadly flooding and billions of dollars in damage. The storm is blamed for 23 deaths in Texas.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1968 – The Rolling Stones release “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” which goes on to top the U.K. singles chart. In the U.S., it climbs as high as No. 3.

1974 – Dolly Parton reaches No. 1 on the country chart with “I Will Always Love You.” In 1982, she re-records it for the soundtrack of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And, in 1992, Whitney Houston records her own version that spends 14 weeks on top of the pop chart.

1974 – Paul McCartney & Wings scale the summit of the singles chart with “Band on the Run,” off the album of the same title.

1985 – Tears For Fears rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” The band’s first No. 1 hit in the U.S. holds the top spot for two weeks. Two months later, the band scores another chart-topper with “Shout.”

1991 – The rock band Extreme claims the No. 1 spot on the Billboard singles chart with “More Than Words.”

1996 – “Tha Crossroads,” by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, is in the midst of an eight-week domination of the pop chart.

READ MORE