On This Day November 23 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1804 – Franklin Pierce, the 14th U.S. president (d. 1869) 1859 – Outlaw Billy the Kid (d. 1881) 1887 – Actor Boris Karloff, born William Henry Pratt, best known for his portrayal of the monster in the “Frankenstein” movies and narrator/voice of The Grinch in the 1966 animated special, “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” (d. 1969) 1888 – Comedian-actor Harpo Marx of the legendary comedy troupe the Marx Brothers (d. 1964) 1925 – Grammy and Oscar-winning composer-arranger Johnny Mandel, most famous for “Suicide Is Painless,” the theme from the movie and TV series “M*A*S*H” 1954 – Grammy-winning singer-pianist Bruce Hornsby (“The Way It Is,” “Mandolin Rain,” “Every Little Kiss”) 1960 – “Good Morning America” (GMA) co-host Robin Roberts 1992 – Singer-songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus, born Destiny Hope Cyrus (“Hannah Montana,” “Party in the U.S.A.,” “Can’t Be Tamed”, “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball”) History Highlights 1889 – The first jukebox goes into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. Built by the Pacific Phonograph Company, the device is called a “nickel-in-the-slot player.” A record would play for a nickel and up to four people could listen using using stethoscope-like tubes. 1936 – The illustrated magazine LIFE premieres. The first issue features a black and white photo of the Fort Peck Dam in Montana, taken by Margaret Bourke-White. 1981 – President Ronald Reagan secretly grants the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) the power to recruit and support a 500-man force of Nicaraguan rebels (“Contras”) to conduct covert actions against the leftist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. The move eventually leads to what became the Iran-Contra scandal. 1984 – It’s the “Miracle in Miami,” as Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie leads BC past Miami 47-45 at the Orange Bowl. Flutie throws a Hail Mary pass to win the game. 2012 – Actor Larry Hagman, who starred in TV’s “I Dream of Jeannie” and years later “Dallas,” dies of complications from cancer at the age of 81. Musical Milestones 1936 – Delta blues legend Robert Johnson lays down his first-ever musical recordings — eight songs in a single session at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The tracks include “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom,” “Sweet Home Chicago” and his biggest hit, “Terraplane Blues.” 1963 – “I’m Leaving It Up to You,” by Dale & Grace, is the hottest song on the radio. 1974 – Billy Swan is on top of the singles chart for two weeks with the only hit of his singing career: “I Can Help.” 1974 – The Rolling Stones score their fifth No. 1 album with “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” — the last Stones album for guitarist Mick Taylor, who was replaced by Ronnie Wood. 1976 – Rocker Jerry Lee Lewis is arrested for the second time in as many days. First it was drunk driving, but on this day he’s busted for brandishing a pistol outside Graceland while demanding to see Elvis. 1985 – Starship begin their second and final week orbiting around the top spot on the pop chart with “We Built This City.” 1991 – Michael Bolton’s cover of Percy Sledge’s 1966 classic, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later goes on to capture a Grammy Award. 1995 – Soul singer and saxophonist Junior Walker, best known for the hits “How Sweet It Is” and “What Does It Take, To Win Your Love, dies of cancer at the age of 64. Walker also played sax on Foreigner’s 1981 hit “Urgent.” 2002 – Eminem rules the Billboard singles chart with “Lose Yourself,” from the “8 Mile” movie soundtrack. The song holds at No. 1 for 12 weeks. READ MORE
On This Day September 29 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1907 – Entertainer Gene Autry, born Orvon Grover Autry, affectionately known as “The Singing Cowboy” (d. 1998) 1929 – NFL coach Bum Phillips, most associated with the former Houston Oilers (d. 2013) 1935 – Rock and Roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis (“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On,” “Great Balls of Fire”) 1942 – Jazz-rock violinist-composer Jean Luc Ponty 1942 – Actress Madeline Kahn, born Madeline Gail Wolfson, best known for her roles in the Mel Brooks comedies “Blazing Saddles,” “High Anxiety” and “Young Frankenstein” (d. 1999) 1943 – Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa, former Polish president and leader of Poland’s Solidarity movement 1948 – Emmy-winning former “Today Show” co-host and “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” host Bryant Gumbel 1980 – Actor Zachary Levi (“Less Than Perfect,” “Chuck,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel,” “Tangled,” “Thor: The Dark World”) History Highlights 1941 – The Babi Yar massacre of nearly 34,000 Jewish men, women, and children begins on the outskirts of Kiev in the Nazi-occupied Ukraine. The two-day bloodbath becomes a symbol of Jewish suffering in the Holocaust. 1966 – General Motors rolls out the sporty Chevy Camaro in an effort to go head-to-head with the popular Ford Mustang, which debuted two years earlier. 1988 – NASA launches the so-called “Return to Flight Mission” — the first space shuttle launch since the devastating Challenger explosion that claimed the lives of all seven crew members in January 1986. STS-26 marks the seventh flight for shuttle Discovery. 1988 – Stacy Allison of Portland, Oregon, becomes the first American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. 1995 – President Bill Clinton posthumously awards voting rights advocate Willie Velasquez the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Velasquez and the organizations he founded are credited with dramatically increasing political awareness and participation among the Hispanic communities of the Southwestern U.S. 2005 – New York Times reporter Judith Miller is released from a federal detention center after agreeing to testify in the investigation into the leaking of the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. 2008 – Congress fails to pass a $700 billion bank bailout plan, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeting nearly 780 points — at the time, the largest single-day point loss in history. The free fall follows the bankruptcies of Wall Street brokerage firm Lehman Brothers, Savings and Loan bank Washington Mutual and the Fed’s pledge to extend an $85 billion bailout for insurance provider AIG. Musical Milestones 1962 – “Sherry,” by The Four Seasons, is in the middle of a five-week run on top of the Billboard singles chart. 1973 – Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re An American Band” is the No. 1 single. 1976 – Enjoying a little target practice during his own birthday party, rock and roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis accidentally shoots his bass player, Norman “Butch” Owens, in the chest. Twice! Owens survives and sues Lewis. 1979 – The Knack begin their fifth and final week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “My Sharona.” 1984 – Prince and the Revolution rule the singles chart with “Let’s Go Crazy,” from the soundtrack to the movie “Purple Rain.” The track holds the top spot for two weeks. 1990 – The hard rock band Nelson begins one week atop the pop chart with “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection.” 2004 – Keith Moon’s five-piece silver Premier drum kit, custom-made for The Who drummer in 1968, sells for £120,000 ($215,772 U.S.) at Christie’s auction house in London to an American collector, setting a world auction record for a set of drums. 2007 – “Stronger,” by Kanye West, is the No. 1 single. READ MORE
On this Day July 8 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1935 – Pop singer-actor Steve Lawrence, best known as half of the “Steve and Eydie duo with his wife, Eydie Gormé 1944 – Actor Jeffrey Tambor (“…And Justice For All,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Arrested Development”) 1951 – Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston (“Prizzi’s Honor,” “The Grifters,” “The Addams Family,” “The Royal Tenenbaums”) 1958 – Golden Globe-winning actor Kevin Bacon (“Footloose,” “Apollo 13,” “The River Wild,” “A Few Good Men,” “Mystic River,” “The Following”) 1961 – Country music singer-songwriter and actor Toby Keith (“Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!”) 1962 – Singer-songwriter Joan Osborne, best known for her 1995 hit “One of Us” 1970 – Rock singer-songwriter Beck, born Bek David Campbell 1998 – Actor Jaden Smith (“The Pursuit of Happyness,” “The Karate Kid,” “After Earth”) History Highlights 1776 – The Liberty Bell rings out from the tower of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, summoning citizens to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. 1947 – Reports are broadcast that a “flying disc” has crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico, however U.S. Air Force officials claim it is a weather balloon. The incident triggers conspiracy theories about a government coverup and accounts of aliens and UFOs that are still debated today. 1959 – American troops suffer their first casualties in the Vietnam War with the deaths of Maj. Dale R. Buis and Master Sgt. Chester M. Ovnand. 1960 – An emerging Cold War détente between the United States and Soviet Union suffers a setback when the Soviets charge U.S. Air Force and CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers with espionage. The move comes two months after the Soviets shoot Powers down while flying a secret spy mission. 1994 – Kim Il-Sung, the communist dictator of North Korea since 1948, dies of a heart attack at the age of 82. Hoping to reunify Korea by force, Kim launched an invasion of South Korea in 1950, igniting the Korean War, which ended in a stalemate in 1953. Musical Milestones 1957 – “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” by Elvis Presley begins a seven-week run on top of the singles chart. Two months earlier, Elvis was king of the pop chart with “All Shook Up,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1. 1958 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awards the first official Gold album (for achieving sales of $1 million). It goes to the cast album for the stage production of “Oklahoma!” featuring Gordon MacRae. 1967 – The Monkees begin a 29-date concert tour with The Jimi Hendrix Experience as the opening act. However, Hendrix is dropped after eight performances because the producers felt his act was not suitable for their “teeny-bopper” audiences. 1970 – “The Everly Brothers Show” starts an 11-week prime-time run on ABC- TV. 1972 – Bill Withers scores the first and only No. 1 hit of his career when “Lean On Me” reaches the top of the pop chart. It holds that position for three weeks. 1978 – Gerry Rafferty’s “City To City” reaches the top of the Billboard album chart, dethroning the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack which occupied that spot for nearly six months. 1989 – “Good Thing,” by Fine Young Cannibals, begins a week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track is the second chart-topper from the band’s “The Raw & The Cooked” album. Three months earlier, “She Drives Me Crazy” claimed the top spot. 1995 – TLC flows to the top of the Billboard pop chart with “Waterfalls.” The song remains at No. 1 for seven weeks. 2000 – Enrique Iglesias begins his third and final week on top of the singles chart with “Be With You.” READ MORE
On this Day July 26 Click each item below to learn more! Celebrity Birthdays 1928 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning director Stanley Kubrick (“Spartacus,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “The Shining,” “Full Metal jacket,” “Eyes Wide Shut”) (d. 1999) 1943 – Legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger 1945 – Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren (“Prime Suspect,” “Caligula,” “Shadowboxer,” “Elizabeth I,” “The Queen,” “Hitchcock,” “Woman in Gold”) 1956 – Olympic gold medal figure skater Dorothy Hamill 1959 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor-director-producer Kevin Spacey (“Seven,” “The Usual Suspects,” “L.A. Confidential,” “American Beauty,” “House of Cards,” “Elvis & Nixon”), who went on to face multiple accusations of sexual misconduct 1964 – Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actress Sandra Bullock (“The Net,” “Speed,” “Miss Congeniality,” “The Blind Side,” “Gravity”) 1965 – Emmy-winning actor Jeremy Piven, best known for his role as Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the TV series and movie “Entourage” 1973 – Actress Kate Beckinsale (“Pearl Harbor,” “Underworld,” “The Aviator,” “Click,” “Total Recall”) History Highlights 1775 – Signed, sealed and delivered. The U.S. Postal Service is established and the Continental Congress appoints Benjamin Franklin as first Postmaster General. 1908 – The Office of the Chief Examiner, later named the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is founded. It begins with a short memo signed by Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, describing a “regular force of special agents” available to investigate certain cases of the U.S. Department of Justice. 1947 – President Harry Truman signs the National Security Act, creating the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 1964 – Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa is convicted of fraud and conspiracy. The man long suspected of mafia ties serves four years in prison before President Richard Nixon commutes his sentence. 1990 – President George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, extending civil rights protections to people with disabilities, guaranteeing them equal employment opportunities as well as accessibility to buildings and transportation. Musical Milestones 1952 – Vera Lynn is in the midst of a nine-week ride on top of the Billboard singles survey with “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart.” 1968 – Motown Records signs the Jackson 5 to a one-year contract. 1969 – Johnny Cash releases the single, “A Boy Named Sue,” which was recorded five months earlier during a performance at California’s San Quentin State Prison. 1975 – Disco anthem “The Hustle,” by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony, boogies its way to the top of the singles chart. 1984 – Movie-goers line up to see the premiere of “Purple Rain,” the semi-autobiographical story of musician Prince. 1986 – Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” off his “So” album, is the No. 1 single. The accompanying music video goes on to capture a record nine awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards. Gabriel also earns three Grammy nominations: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. 1997 – “I’ll Be Missing You,” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112, tops the Billboard Hot 100. READ MORE