On This Day March 17 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1919 – Jazz pianist-vocalist and first African American variety TV show host Nat King Cole, born Nathaniel Adams Coles (“The Christmas Song,” “Unforgettable,” “L-O-V-E”) (d. 1965) 1944 – Singer-songwriter John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful (“Do You Believe In Magic?,” “Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?,” “Summer In The City,” “Welcome Back”) 1949 – Actor Patrick Duffy, best known for his portrayal of Bobby Ewing in the popular TV series “Dallas” 1951 – Actor Kurt Russell (“Escape From New York,” “The Thing,” “Silkwood,” “Backdraft,” “Stargate,” “Breakdown,” “Dark Blue,” the “Fast & Furious” movies, “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2” ) 1955 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor and American military service members advocate Gary Sinise (“Forrest Gump,” “Apollo 13,” “Truman,” “Ransom,” “CSI: NY”) 1964 – Actor and “Brat Pack” member Rob Lowe (“St. Elmo’s Fire,” “About Last Night,” “Tommy Boy,” “Wayne’s World,” “The West Wing,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Grinder”) History Highlights 461 A.D. – Saint Patrick, Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland, dies at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland. For thousands of years, the Irish and others have observed his passing as a religious holiday. 1762 – The world’s first Saint Patrick’s Day parade on record takes place in New York City — 14 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence — by Irish soldiers serving in the British army. As more Irish immigrants come to the U.S. in the mid-19th century following the potato famine, parade attendance swells and new parades sprout in other cities. 1949 – The first car to carry the Porsche name, the 356, is introduced at the Geneva Motor Show. A 356 Coupé and 356 Cabriolet grab attention in the main hall of the world’s largest automotive show. By 1965, about 78,000 units of the 356 had been built. 1969 – Golda Meir becomes the first female prime minister of Israel. 2000 – “Erin Brockovich” opens in U.S. theaters, starring Julia Roberts and Albert Finney, and directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film garners five Oscar nominations and goes on to win one — Best Actress for Roberts, who, with this production, becomes the first actress to command a $20 million paycheck. Musical Milestones 1956 – “The Poor People of Paris,” by Les Baxter, tops the Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart and remains there for four weeks. A week later it begins four- and six-week dominations of the Best Sellers in Stores and Top 100 charts, respectively. 1958 – The Champs kick off five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart (precursor to the Hot 100) with “Tequila.” At the first Grammy Awards ceremony the following May, the song captures Best R&B Performance honors. 1962 – “Hey! Baby,” by Bruce Channel, is in the middle of a three-week run at No. 1 on the pop chart. 1973 – Roberta Flack begins a fourth week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with the Grammy-winning smash “Killing Me Softly.” 1978 – New at the movies: “American Hot Wax,” a film about legendary DJ Alan Freed, who was instrumental in introducing and popularizing rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s. Freed’s career was destroyed by the payola scandal that hit the broadcasting industry in the early 1960s. 1984 – Van Halen’s “Jump” sits tight during a five-week ride atop the Billboard Hot 100. 1990 – Janet Jackson enjoys her third and final week as a Billboard chart-topper with “Escapade,” off her “Rhythm Nation 1814” album. 2001 – “Stutter,” by Joe featuring Mystikal, begins its fourth and final week as a No. 1 single. 2007 – “This is Why I’m Hot,” by MIMS, is in its second and final week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 2012 – “We Are Young,” by Fun featuring Janelle Monáe, begins six weeks at No. 1 on the pop chart. READ MORE
On This Day February 15 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1564 – Scientist Galileo Galilei (generally referred to as Galileo), a major figure in the scientific revolution, who made pioneering discoveries that advanced the study of astronomy, physics and philosophy (d. 1642) 1820 – Suffragette reformer and women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony (d. 1906) 1927 – Emmy-winning comedian Harvey Korman (“The Carol Burnett Show,” “Blazing Saddles”) (d. 2008) 1951 – Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester (“Midnight Blue,” “Don’t Cry Out Loud, “Through the Eyes of Love”) 1951 – Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Jane Seymour (“Somewhere in Time,” “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” “Wedding Crashers”) 1954 – Cartoonist Matt Groening, best known for creating “The Simpsons” 1964 – Actor-comedian Chris Farley (“Saturday Night Live,” “Wayne’s World,” “Tommy Boy,” “Black Sheep,” “Beverly Hills Ninja”) (d. 1997) History Highlights 1879 – President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. 1898 – The battleship USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havana (Cuba) Harbor, killing more than 260 crewmen. The incident prompts the U.S. to declare war on Spain. 1903 – The first teddy bear, named for U.S. President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, goes on sale. Toy store owner and inventor Morris Michtom places two stuffed bears in his shop window after personally getting Roosevelt’s permission to name them after him. 1933 – Two weeks before his inauguration, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt is fired upon by a would-be assassin after giving a speech in Miami. FDR is unharmed, but a bullet strikes Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who dies three weeks later. 1965 – A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner. 1978 – Leon Spinks takes the heavyweight boxing champion title away from defending champ Muhammad Ali in a split decision in Las Vegas. 1985 – “The Breakfast Club” opens in U.S. theaters. Directed by John Hughes and starring Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy — members of the so-called “Brat Pack” — it becomes an ’80s movie classic. In 2016, the film is selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by The Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” 1998 – Racing great Dale Earnhardt, Sr. wins his first Daytona 500, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) season opener and an event dubbed the “Super Bowl of stock car racing.” Musical Milestones 1964 – “Meet The Beatles!” reaches No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, becoming The Beatles’ first chart-topping album in the U.S. It holds the top spot for eleven weeks and sells more than four million copies by the end of that year. 1965 – The Beatles record “Another Girl” and “Ticket to Ride” for the “Help!” album. Earlier that day, John Lennon earns a personal ticket to ride by passing his driving test. 1965 – Entertainer Nat King Cole (“Unforgettable,” “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer,” “The Christmas Song,” “Mona Lisa”), who earned early acclaim as a jazz pianist and became the first African American performer to host a network TV variety show, dies of lung cancer at the age of 45. 1969 – Sly & the Family Stone rule the Billboard singles chart with “Everyday People,” which remains at No. 1 for four weeks. 1975 – “You’re No Good,” by Linda Ronstadt, is the No. 1 single. 1984 – Beloved actress-singer Ethel Merman, best known for her rendition of “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” from the musical “Annie Get Your Gun,” dies at the age of 75. 1986 – “How Will I Know,” by Whitney Houston, becomes the most popular single in the U.S. for two weeks. 1992 – One-hit-wonder Right Said Fred is in the middle of three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “I’m Too Sexy.” 2003 – “All I Have,” by Jennifer Lopez featuring LL Cool J, is midway through a four-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart. READ MORE
On this Day June 13 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1892 – Actor Basil Rathbone, best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in more than a dozen movies by the mid-1940s (d. 1967) 1926 – Actor-comedian Paul Lynde (“Bewitched,” “Hollywood Squares”) (d. 1983) 1943 – Actor Malcolm McDowell (“A Clockwork Orange,” “Star Trek Generations,” “Heroes,” “Entourage,” “The Mentalist”) 1951 – Actor Stellan Skarsgård (“Breaking the Waves,” Good Will Hunting,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) 1951 – Emmy-winning actor Richard Thomas, best known for playing John-Boy on the CBS series “The Waltons” 1953 – Actor-comedian Tim Allen (“Home Improvement,” Buzz Lightyear in the “Toy Story” movies, “Galaxy Quest”) 1962 – Actress and “Brat Pack” member Ally Sheedy (“War Games,” “The Breakfast Club,” “St. Elmo’s Fire” 1981 – Actor Chris Evans, best known for portraying Captain America in the “Avengers” and “Captain America” films, as well as the Human Torch in “Fantastic Four” 1986 – Actress-turned-fashion designer Ashley Olsen, best known for sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with twin sister Mary-Kate Olsen in the ABC sitcom “Full House” 1986 – Actress-turned-fashion designer Mary-Kate Olsen, best known for sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with twin sister Ashley Olsen in the ABC sitcom “Full House” History Highlights 1966 – In a landmark ruling (Miranda v. Arizona), the Supreme Court establishes the Miranda Rights, requiring police officers to advise criminal suspects of their rights before questioning them. 1967 – Calling it “the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place,” President Lyndon Johnson nominates U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Thurgood Marshall as the first African American Supreme Court Justice. Two months later, after heated debate, the Senate confirms Marshall’s nomination by a 69 to 11 vote. Two days later, he is sworn in by Chief Justice Earl Warren. 1967 – The fifth James Bond movie, “You Only Live Twice,” opens in theaters across the U.S. Once again, Sean Connery stars as suave British secret agent 007. 1971 – The New York Times publishes the “Pentagon Papers,” revealing the growing political and military involvement of the U.S. in Southeast Asia. 1983 – The NASA spacecraft Pioneer 10 becomes the first man-made object to leave the solar system. Musical Milestones 1960 – The Everly Brothers are chart-toppers with “Cathy’s Clown.” 1963 – The Dixie Cups are midway through a three-week run at No. 1 on the pop chart with “Chapel of Love.” 1970 – Before breaking up, The Beatles enjoy their last No. 1 single in the U.S.: “The Long and Winding Road.” The album it came from, “Let It Be,” tops the Billboard album chart that same day. 1981 – Kim Carnes is in the middle of a nine-week reign over the Billboard Hot 100 with “Bette Davis Eyes.” The song goes on to capture Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. 1987 – “Always,” by Atlantic Starr, is the most popular song on American radio. 1992 – Billy Ray Cyrus’ debut album, “Some Gave All,” launches a 17-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. The album spawns Cyrus’ breakout single, “Achy Breaky Heart.” 1998 – Brandy and Monica own the No. 1 spot on the pop chart with “The Boy is Mine.” 2005 – A California jury clears pop sensation Michael Jackson of all charges following a four-month-long child abuse trial. Charges were brought against Jackson after the airing of a 2003 TV documentary in which he admitted to sharing his bed with young children. 2009 – “Boom Boom Pow,” by The Black Eyed Peas, is in the middle of a 12-week run on top of the Billboard Hot 100. READ MORE
On this Day May 12 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1820 – Nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (d. 1910) 1907 – Oscar-winning actress Katharine Hepburn (“The African Queen,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “On Golden Pond”) (d. 2003) 1925 – Baseball Hall of Fame player-coach-manager Yogi Berra (d. 2015) 1928 – Grammy and Oscar-winning composer-pianist Burt Bacharach (“The Look of Love,” “This Guy’s in Love with You,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do),” “That’s What Friends Are For,” “On My Own”) 1936 – Late-night TV talk show host Tom Snyder (“The Tomorrow Show,” “The Late Late Show”) (d. 2007) 1937 – Stand-up comedian and actor George Carlin (d. 2008) 1950 – Actor Gabriel Byrne (“Miller’s Crossing,” “The Usual Suspects,” “End of Days,” “In Treatment”) 1959 – Golden Globe-winning actor Ving Rhames (“Dave,” “Mission: Impossible” film series, “Pulp Fiction,” “Con Air,” “Don King: Only in America”) 1962 – ‘Brat Pack’ actor Emilio Estevez (“Repo Man,” “The Breakfast Club,” “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Stakeout,” “Young Guns,” “The Mighty Ducks”) 1978 – Actor Jason Biggs (“As The World Turns,” the “American Pie” movie series, “Orange is the New Black,” “Amateur Night”) 1981 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor and producer Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Mr. Robot,” “Night at the Museum”) History Highlights 1847 – Way before the Fitbit, William Clayton creates a device to measure distance with his invention of the odometer. Its original use was to record how far horse-drawn wagons traveled during America’s pioneer days. 1903 – Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first U.S. president captured on film during a trip to San Francisco. Cameraman H.J. Miles chronicles Roosevelt as his carriage travels down Market Street during a parade in his honor. The short silent movie, titled “The President’s Carriage,” is later played on nickelodeons in arcades across America. 1932 – The body of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh’s 20-month-old baby is found more than two months after his kidnapping from the family’s New Jersey home. 1957 – Legendary auto racer A.J. Foyt is 22 years old when he scores his first professional victory in a U.S. Automobile Club midget car race in Kansas City, Missouri. 1970 – The U.S. Senate confirms President Richard Nixon’s nomination of Federal Circuit Judge Harry Blackmun to the U.S. Supreme Court. Musical Milestones 1958 – The Everly Brothers begin a four-week run at No. 1 on the singles chart with “All I Have To Do Is Dream.” 1963 – Bob Dylan walks off the set of “The Ed Sullivan Show” after a CBS executive tells him he cannot perform his song “Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues” because it mocks segregation and the military. 1964 – Barbra Streisand wins a Grammy for Best Female Vocalist for “The Barbra Streisand Album,” which is named Album of the Year. 1979 – “Reunited,” by Peaches & Herb, is in the middle of a four-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. The track also tops the R&B singles chart for four weeks and goes on to sell more than two million copies. 1984 – Lionel Richie begins two weeks on top of the pop chart with “Hello,” off his “Can’t Slow Down” album. 1990 – Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” completes a four-week domination of the Billboard Hot 100. 2001 – Janet Jackson is in the middle of a seven-week run at No. 1 on the pop chart with “All for You.” READ MORE