On this Day: June 7

On this Day June 7

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1905 – Former U.S. boxing heavyweight champion James Braddock (d. 1974)

1909 – Oscar-winning actress Jessica Tandy (“Firefox,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Batteries Not Included”) (d. 1994)

1917 – Legendary entertainer and “Rat Pack” member Dean Martin (“Memories Are Made of This,” “That’s Amore,” “Everybody Loves Somebody,” “Volare,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” (d. 1995)

1940 – Grammy-winning pop, blues and soul-singing superstar and “The Voice UK” coach Tom Jones (“What’s New Pussycat,” “It’s Not Unusual,” “She’s a Lady”)

1952 – Actor Liam Neeson (“The Mission,” “Schindler’s List,” “Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” the “Taken” film series, “Michael Collins,” “Love Actually,” “Cold Pursuit”)

1958 – Grammy-winning pop sensation Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson (d. 2016)

1981 – Retired tennis star-turned reality TV personality Anna Kournikova

1988 – Actor Michael Cera (“Arrested Development,” “Superbad,” “Juno,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Twin Peaks”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1913 – A team of four Alaskans stages the first successful ascent of Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley), the highest point on the American continent at 20,310 feet.

1937 – Known as the “Blonde Bombshell” and the “Platinum Blonde,” and considered one of the most gifted and blatantly sensual Hollywood stars of the 1930s, actress Jean Harlow dies of uremic poisoning (acute kidney failure) at the age of 26.

1942 – Six months after Japan’s devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway ends with a U.S. victory over Japan in one of the most decisive naval showdowns of World War II. In the four-day sea and air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet destroys four Japanese aircraft carriers and loses only one of its own — the USS Yorktown — turning the tide against the previously invincible Japanese navy.

1955 – The TV game show “The $64,000 Question” premieres on CBS, hosted by Hal March.

1965 – In Griswold v. Connecticut, the U.S. Supreme Court guarantees the right to privacy, including the freedom from government intrusion into matters of birth control.

1975 – Sony revolutionizes home entertainment when it introduces consumers to the Betamax videocassette recorder.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1963 – Four weeks after recording it, The Rolling Stones release their debut single, “Come On.” It’s the cover of a 1961 Chuck Berry song. The track climbs as high as No. 20 on the U.K. singles chart.

1969 – “The Johnny Cash Show” debuts on ABC. It features musical guests like Louis Armstrong, Arlo Guthrie, Glen Campbell and Linda Ronstadt before going off the air in 1971.

1969 – “Get Back,” by The Beatles with Billy Preston, is in the middle of a five-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100.

1975 – Elton John’s “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, becoming the first album ever to do so. It spawns the hit single, “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”

1975 – “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” by John Denver, is the No. 1 single.

1977 – Led Zeppelin play the first of six sold out nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden during their 11th and final North American tour. The most expensive ticket costs $10.50.

1986 – Madonna’s “Live to Tell,” off her “True Blue” album, becomes the pop superstar’s third No. 1 single.

2003 – “21 Questions,” by 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg, tops the Billboard Hot 100.

2012 – Bob Welch, an early member of Fleetwood Mac and who enjoyed a successful solo career with hits like “Sentimental Lady” and “Ebony Eyes,” dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 66. 

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On this Day: June 4

On this Day June 4

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Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1907 – Golden Globe-winning actress Rosalind Russell (“His Girl Friday,” “Auntie Mame,” “Gypsy”) (d. 1976)

1924 – Actor Dennis Weaver (“Gunsmoke,”McCloud,” “Duel”) (d. 2006)

1928 – Sex therapist-talk show host Dr. Ruth Westheimer

1936 – Oscar-winning actor Bruce Dern (“They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” “Coming Home,” “Nebraska”)

1944 – Singer-songwriter-actress Michelle Phillips, a member of the 60s folk/pop band The Mamas and the Papas

1971 – Actor Noah Wyle, best known for his role as Dr. John Carter in the hit NBC medical drama “ER”

1975 – Comedian-actor Russell Brand (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to The Greek”)

1975 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress-director and humanitarian Angelina Jolie

History Highlights
History Highlights

1919 – Congress passes the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote, and sends it to the states for ratification. The measure takes effect about a year later. On November 2, 1920, more than 8 million women across the U.S. vote in elections for the first time.

1942 – The Battle of Midway begins, becoming one of the most decisive U.S. victories against Japan during World War II.

1967 – At the Emmy Awards, Bill Cosby, the first black performer to star in a dramatic series, is crowned best actor for his role in “I Spy.”

1977 – The first personal computer, the Apple II, goes on sale, retailing for about $1,300.

1989 – Chinese troops storm through Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, killing and arresting thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators. The brutal Chinese government assault shocks the West and brings denunciations and sanctions from the United States.

2003 – Domestic guru and media mogul Martha Stewart is indicted for securities fraud and obstruction of justice.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1966 – Percy Sledge marks the second and final week at No. 1 on the pop chart with “When a Man Loves a Woman.”

1977 – Supertramp releases “Give a Little Bit,” which becomes a No. 15 Billboard single.

1984 – Bruce Springsteen releases the album “Born In The U.S.A.,” which goes on to top the album chart for seven weeks and spawns seven Top 10 singles, including the title track. It becomes the best-selling album of 1984 and the best-selling record of Springsteen’s career.

1988 – Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut album hits the top of the U.S. album chart, delivering hits like “Fast Car” and “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution.” It paves the way for Chapman to capture Grammys for Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Folk Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“Fast Car”).

1994 – “I Swear,” by All-4-One,” is in the middle of an 11-week domination of the pop chart.

2005 – Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” kicks off 14 non-consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

2011 – Adele rules the pop chart with “Rolling in the Deep,” which goes on to capture Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video Grammys.

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