On This Day: December 21

On This Day December 21

Click each item below to learn more!

Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrity Birthdays

1935 – Former TV talk show host Phil Donahue (“The Phil Donohue Show,” later simply called “Donohue”)

1937 – Oscar-winning actress and 1980s fitness guru Jane Fonda (“Barefoot in the Park,” “Klute,” “Coming Home,” “The Newsroom”)

1948 – Actor-producer Samuel L. Jackson (“Jurassic Park,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown,” “The Incredibles,” “Snakes on a Plane,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Django Unchained,” and several of the Marvel Studios “Avengers” movies)

1954 – Retired U.S. tennis star Chris Evert

1957 – Emmy-winning actor, writer and comedian Ray Romano, best known for the CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond”

1966 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor and singer-songwriter Kiefer Sutherland (“Stand by Me,” “The Lost Boys,” “Young Guns,” “Flatliners,” A Few Good Men,” “The Three Musketeers,” “24,” “Designated Survivor”)

History Highlights
History Highlights

1913 – The first crossword puzzle is compiled by journalist Arthur Wynne and published in the New York World newspaper. It was originally called “Word-Cross” and ran as a feature in the paper’s “Fun” section.

1937 – The Lincoln Tunnel officially opens, allowing motorists to drive between New Jersey and Manhattan beneath the Hudson River.

1968 – NASA successfully launches Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr., and William Anders aboard.

1980 – Socialite Martha “Sunny” von Bulow is found comatose on the bathroom floor of her Newport, Rhode Island mansion — the result of what appeared to be an insulin overdose. Her husband stands trial for attempted murder in what becomes one of the most sensational high society court dramas of all time.

1988 – Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland. All 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard the 747 are killed along with 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. A bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player detonates in the cargo hold when the plane reaches an altitude of 31,000 feet.

Musical Milestones
Musical Milestones

1968 – “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” by Marvin Gaye, is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week and remains a chart-topper all through January 1969.

1969 – The Supremes make their final TV appearance together with Diana Ross on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” singing a medley of their hits.

1970 – Elvis Presley arrives unannounced at The White House for a meeting with President Richard Nixon to offer his services in the administration’s war on drugs.

1974 – “Cat’s in the Cradle” becomes Harry Chapin’s first and only No. 1 single. The track receives a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

1985 – Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” album passes Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to become the second longest-lasting LP on the Billboard Top 10, holding there for 79 weeks. Only “The Sound of Music,” with Julie Andrews, lasted longer at 109 weeks.

2002 – Eminem rules the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lose Yourself,” whcih remains a chart-topper for 12 weeks.

2012 – “Gangnam Style,” by Korean rapper Psy, becomes the first YouTube video to garner one billion views.

READ MORE
On this Day: June 4

On this Day June 4

Click each item below to learn more!

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.

READ MORE